Suspected Plot to Target Belgian Prime Minister Foiled
Belgian authorities have arrested three individuals suspected of planning an strike on the country's premier, Bart de Wever.
Prosecutors characterized the alleged plot as a terrorist act motivated by jihadist ideology targeting the PM and additional politicians.
During searches conducted in Antwerp's Deurne district, near the premier's personal dwelling, investigators discovered a potential IED and proof that the individuals were planning to deploy a UAV.
While the prospective targets of the assault were not disclosed by name by the legal authorities, Vice Premier Maxime Prevot revealed that de Wever was one of them.
"Information of a intended attack targeting PM Bart de Wever is profoundly disturbing," the official stated in a update on online platforms on the investigation day.
"This underscores that we are dealing with a serious terrorist threat and that we have to remain vigilant," he added.
The three people detained on charges of attempted terrorist murder and involvement in the functions of a terrorist group all live in Antwerp, as stated by the prosecutor's office. They were born in the early 2000s.
On the evening of the arrests, one of the individuals was released, while the other suspects were under interrogation and expected to face a judge on the following day.
The prosecution revealed that the suspects were taken into custody after a court official authorized searches of their dwellings in the location by officials backed by explosive sniffer dogs.
Throughout these investigations that they found a item which closely resembled a homemade bomb, legal representative Ann Fransen said at a media briefing on that day.
Raids also revealed a "bag of steel balls" and a 3D printer, with "indications that they intended to use a drone to attach a payload", she continued.
The prosecutor said that there had been 80 terrorism investigations launched in the nation in the current year - exceeding the full amount of cases in 2024.
In April, five people were sentenced for a scheme last year to target De Wever while he was serving as Antwerp's mayor.