Reported Plan to Target Belgian PM Thwarted
Belgian police have arrested three people allegedly involved in plotting an strike on the country's prime minister, Bart de Wever.
Federal prosecutors described the alleged plan as a terrorist act motivated by jihadist ideology targeting the PM and fellow politicians.
During searches conducted in Antwerp's Deurne district, close to the PM's personal dwelling, officials uncovered a suspected IED and evidence that the accused were preparing to use a UAV.
While the prospective targets of the attack were not officially named by the prosecutor's office, Vice Premier Maxime Prevot stated that the prime minister was included in the targets.
"Reports of a planned assault directed toward PM Bart de Wever is extremely shocking," the deputy prime minister declared in a message on online platforms on Thursday.
"It emphasizes that we are confronting a serious extremist danger and that we have to keep watchful," he continued.
The three individuals arrested on charges of attempted terrorist murder and involvement in the operations of a extremist organization all are based in the city of Antwerp, as stated by the prosecutor's office. They were had birth years in three different years between 2001 and 2007.
On Thursday evening, one suspect was freed, while the other suspects were undergoing questioning and expected to face a judge on the following day.
The prosecution revealed that the individuals were arrested after a magistrate directed inspections of their residences in the urban area by officials supported by explosives-trained dogs.
Throughout these raids that they found a device which closely resembled a homemade bomb, lead prosecutor Ann Fransen announced at a media briefing on that day.
Raids also found a container of metal spheres and a three-dimensional printer, with evidence suggesting drone-based payload delivery, she noted.
Fransen said that there had been 80 extremist probes initiated in the country so far this year - exceeding the full amount of cases in the previous year.
In April, five people were found guilty for a 2023 plot to attack the prime minister while he was holding the position of Antwerp's mayor.
