Reported Plan to Strike Belgian PM Prevented
Belgium's authorities have detained three people accused of plotting an assault on the country's premier, Bart de Wever.
Federal prosecutors labeled the suspected plot as a "jihadist-inspired terrorist attack" targeting the premier and other elected representatives.
During searches conducted in the Deurne area of Antwerp, in proximity to the prime minister's personal dwelling, officials found a alleged improvised explosive device and evidence that the accused were preparing to use a drone.
While the intended targets of the attack were not disclosed by name by the federal prosecutors, Second-in-command Maxime Prevot stated that Belgium's leader was one of them.
"Reports of a planned attack aimed at PM Bart de Wever is extremely shocking," the official declared in a message on X on Thursday.
"This underscores that we are dealing with a serious extremist danger and that we have to stay alert," he added.
The three suspects detained on charges of attempted terrorist murder and engagement in the operations of a jihadist network all reside in the Antwerp region, per the prosecutor's office. They were with years of birth in 2001, 2002 and 2007.
As of the evening of the arrests, one person was let go, while two others were under interrogation and likely to face a judge on the following day.
The prosecution revealed that the suspects were detained after a court official authorized raids of their homes in the city by law enforcement assisted by explosives-trained dogs.
It was during these raids that they discovered a object which closely resembled a homemade bomb, legal representative Ann Fransen said at a press conference on Thursday.
Investigations also revealed a "bag of steel balls" and a 3D printer, with signs of drone weaponization plans, she noted.
The prosecutor stated that there had been 80 terrorism investigations launched in Belgium this year - surpassing the full amount of investigations in 2024.
In April, five individuals were convicted for a 2023 plot to attack Belgium's leader while he was holding the position of the city's chief executive.
