The November 2015 Paris attacks in France were coordinated and planned from Belgium . The overall leader of that terrorist cell was believed to be Mohamed Belkaid , an Islamic State operative from Algeria who previously had lived in Sweden . Belkaid was killed in a shootout in the Foret district of Brussels , during which Belkaid was firing on police to allow Salah Abdeslam to escape . Salah Abdeslam was arrested a few days later and the surviving members of the cell , including brothers Najim Laachraoui and Khalid and Ibrahim Bakraoui ( previously armed robbers ) launched the 2016 Brussels bombings targeting Brussels airport and metro killing 32
2016 Brussels bombings
2016 Brussels bombings
Islamic terrorism