The bomber shot dead during terror attack in Belgium was Moroccan 'sex offender' from jihadi ghetto Molenbeek: Fanatic screamed Allahu akbar and triggered explosion before being 'neutralised'

Moroccan bomber blew himself up in theterrorist attack at Belgium capital's Central station on Tuesday
Shots rang out soon after 8pm as police and soldiers moved in 'to neutralise a suspect threatening civilians'
His body was left in station for hours as medics feared that explosives strapped to him could go off any point
Initial reports that man had rucksack with explosives, but witnesses later claimed he tried to blow up a trolley
Suspect is described by Belgian media as serial sex offender from Brussels' terrorist hotbed of Molenbeek
The Grand Place, a popular tourist spot, also evacuated because of fears the man might not be acting alone
Emerged today the terrorist, Oussama Zariouh, was an ISIS supporter and explosives were found at his

An attacker who detonated a nail bomb he was carrying in a suitcase at Brussels Central Station has been identified as a 36-year-old Moroccan national from the jihadi ghetto of Molenbeek.

Officials have said the suspect, named Oussama Zariouh, was not on their radar for links to terrorism, though some local media said he was well-known for being as serial sex offender and others said he was embroiled in drug crime.

He is the latest in the long line of extremist to have come from the Brussels municipality of Molenbeek, branded as the 'jihadist capital of Europe' which harboured Salah Adbeslam, who is in prison for the Paris attacks in 2015.

Attempted suicide bomber Zariouh entered the station at 8.39pm and twice approached a group of 10 passengers and on the second time stood in the middle of them, screamed, and tried to blow himself up.

It appears he botched his attack as the suitcase, which contained nails and gas canisters, only partially exploded before catching fire which later caused a bigger blast.

When he realised his bomb had failed, he ran down the platform towards the station manager before returning to the scene of the blast shouting 'Allahu akbar' at a soldier, who shot him dead.

It emerged this afternoon Zariouh was an Islamic State supporter and Belgian authorities found explosives in his home.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4622952/Explosion-reported-Brussels-central-station.html

Belgian police and forensic experts carry evidence from a suspect's house on the Boulevard Mettewie, in Brussels, Belgium

Belgian Army soldiers patrol outside Central Station after the explosion in the busy station in the Belgian capital

The attacker's body was left lying in the station for several hours as medics could not approach him for fear that the explosives strapped to him could go off any second. His death was confirmed after a bomb squad (pictured) finished their work

Investigators and members of the DOVO (bomb clearing squad) got to work inside Central Station in the early hours of Wednesday morning after the terror scare

Tourists fled in panic as shots rang out soon after 8pm as police and soldiers moved in 'to neutralise a suspect who was threatening civilians'

One witness said the explosion was small but had a 'pretty big' impact and sent terrified passengers fleeing across the tracks in panic

Railway staff Nicolas Van Herrewegen (pictured) said he saw the attacker 'screaming' about jihadists before blowing up on a 'small suitcase' next to him

One woman looks around in panic after the blast in the station while armed police stand guard behind her

One witness claimed he was 'lucky to be alive' after something that sounded like a 'bomb' reportedly went off just 30 metres away from him