The news has been flooded with reports about the Paris terror attack these days. People around the world are curious about the people behind the horrific event that took hundreds of lives. They also want to understand why people like the perpetrator did what he did.
The alleged ringleader and one of the most notorious members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) Abdelhamid Abaaoud, is suspected to be the mastermind in a series of horrifying events in Europe.
So who is Abdelhamid Abaaoud? Where did he come from and why is he still not apprehended?
Abaaoud, is a Belgian national of Moroccan decent in his late 20s and is believed to be close to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He is also connected to the senior ISIS leadership and ISIS operatives in Europe. Authorities believed he plotted the terror attack from Syria, but according to new information, he has been back in Belgium and was living underground.
According to the French counterterrorism source, French military forces made an effort to kill Abaaoud in airstrikes while they targeted ISIS training camp in Raqqa, Syria in October. They also said that Abaaoud is responsible in training foreign fighters. He stayed in the camp for some time but they are still establishing whether or not he was really there at the time of the airstrike.
Top counterterror judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere told CNN that he believes the Paris attacks were planned in Syria. He also said that Abaaoud may have been in constant contact with Baghdadi regarding an attack like that. Bruguiere also added that what the young ISIS did was something Baghdadi would have wanted. He has been waiting for the say when he can organize the group and then rage war against the West.
The French authorities launched an International manhunt for Abaaoud. He was last seen driving up to Belgium in a black SEAT Léon, which is a small hatchback sedan and was found to have 3 automatic rifles in the back seat. The car was later on recovered in Molenbeek, a district of Brussels known for its many Arab immigrants.
