The terrorists who attacked Brussels airport last year targeted Jews and passengers travelling to the United States, according to reports on the Belgian-led investigation. They were ‘’obsessed’’ with targeting Israeli passengers, the reports said.

Two suicide-bombers belonging to Islamic State (IS), Najim Laachraoui and Ibrahim El Bakraoui, killed 16 people at Brussels Airport on March 22. Around an hour later Bakraoui’s brother Khalid attacked a metro station near the European Commission building, killing another 16.

One source close to the investigation told Agence France Presse (AFP), which contacted investigators in several countries, that one of the airport bombers “attacked the Delta Airlines check-in”.

“We know they wanted to target Americans,” said the source, who asked not to be named. “It’s clear they had quite specific targets.”

Asked if these targets included the check-in counter for a flight to Israel, he replied: “We know they were obsessed with the Israelis too.”

There were casualties from at least 40 nationalities in the Brussels attacks, but investigators and sources believe the Zaventem bombers had specific targets.

Four Americans were killed at the airport and several injured, while two Israelis, bothn Ultra-Orthodox Jews, were treated in Jerusalem after the attacks.

Sources close to the investigation added that camera footage never released to the public showed that Laachraoui had been standing among some 60 high school students before deciding to pursue two Orthodox Jews.

“The attacker seemed to rush towards two Orthodox Jews,” one of the sources said. “He really, clearly wanted to kill a Jew.”