One of the suspects of the Paris terror attacks is believed to have escaped to Syria, The Independent quoted a source close to the investigation as saying Monday

Salah Abdeslam, born in Brussels, has been on the run since the attacks which killed 130 people and injured hundreds more on 13 November, the paper said.

A manhunt has been launched by authorities to find the 26-year-old and CNN has reported that intelligence services in France believe he may have fled to the Middle Eastern country.

Investigators believe he was the driver for the three suicide bombers who attacked the Stade de France. They are trying to establish whether Abdeslam could have been part of a planned attack which never took place in the 18th district.

After the attacks, he traveled with two others in a car which was stopped near the Belgian border. But police let them go because they were not on their wanted list at the time.

Previously 16 arrests were made during anti-terror raids in Brussels but Abdeslam was not found.

Sources: MENA