'Mastermind' of Paris attacks Abdelhamid Abaaoud turned back on 'fantastic' life, says father

LONDON: A detailed picture of some of the killers behind the attacks in Paris has begun to emerge with many previously known to have travelled to Syria to fight for ISIS.French officials described Abdelhamid Abaaoud, 27, as the "mastermind" of the attacks. Said to be the son of a shopkeeper originally from Morocco, Abaaoud reportedly joined ISIS in Syria in 2013 and appeared in a video driving a van dragging mutilated bodies to a mass grave. He is said to have recruited his younger brother, Younes Abaaoud, into the terror group aged 13.His family had previously announced that he was dead but police now think the family were misled and the claim was false. He was well known to police in Belgium who described him as the head of a terrorist cell in Verviers which was dismantled last January after a shootout in which two jihadists were killed. Abaaoud was sentenced in absentia to 20 years along with 32 other jihadists.After the Verviers incident, his father, Omar, said he was "ashamed" of him. "Abdelhamid has brought shame on our family. Our lives are destroyed," he said.Omar Abaaoud added that he was horrified his son had contemplated attacks in Belgium, a country which had been good to his family. Mr Abaaoud said he came to Belgium to work in a mine 40 years ago. He prospered. "We have climbed the ladder. I received this clothing store and I had also



bought one for Abdelhamid. We had a nice life, yes, even a fantastic life here. Abdelhamid was not a difficult child and had become a good trader."His father said things changed dramatically in 2013 when his son suddenly left for Syria. "I asked myself every day why he was radicalised to the point," adding that he did not know the answer.In Syria, Abdelhamid, who became known as Abu Omar Soussi or Abu Umar al-Baljiki, appeared frequently in ISIS propaganda where he was pictured heavily armed and advocating violence. In one video he is seen driving a pick-up vehicle dragging the corpses of murdered opponents.He is said to have joined a group of young Belgian jihadists, known as al-Battar Katiba, or "the sword of the prophets". One of his fellow Belgian jihadists wrote on a social network site after the attack on Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket in Paris in January: "The good news is that it is only the beginning."Police believe he helped plan the attack on the Amsterdam-to-Paris train in August which was thwarted by four passengers, including British businessman Chris Norman.He is also said to have carried out several armed robberies with one of two French brothers alleged to have been involved in Friday's attacks. A French jihadi arrested after returning from Syria this summer reportedly told police Abaaoud had told him to attack a concert hall.