Suspected Plot to Strike Belgian Prime Minister Thwarted
Belgium's law enforcement have arrested three individuals suspected of conspiring to carry out an assault on the government's prime minister, Bart de Wever.
Prosecutors characterized the reported plot as a extremist assault with jihadist roots targeting the PM and other politicians.
During raids conducted in Antwerp's Deurne district, in proximity to the prime minister's personal dwelling, investigators found a suspected improvised explosive device and indications that the individuals were intending to use a UAV.
While the prospective targets of the strike were not disclosed by name by the federal prosecutors, Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot revealed that the prime minister was included in the targets.
"The news of a premeditated attack aimed at PM Bart de Wever is extremely shocking," Prevot wrote in a update on X on Thursday.
"This underscores that we are facing a very real extremist danger and that we have to stay alert," he concluded.
The three suspects detained on suspicion of attempted terrorist murder and involvement in the functions of a terrorist group all live in the city of Antwerp, per the legal authorities. They were had birth years in three different years between 2001 and 2007.
On Thursday evening, one person was released, while the remaining two were still being questioned and scheduled to face a judge on Friday.
Legal authorities stated that the accused were taken into custody after a magistrate directed inspections of their residences in the city by police officers backed by explosives-trained dogs.
It was during these searches that they found a item which closely resembled a homemade bomb, lead prosecutor Ann Fransen said at a media briefing on that day.
Searches also found a collection of ball bearings and a 3D printer, with signs of drone weaponization plans, she added.
The official said that there had been 80 terrorism investigations launched in the country so far this year - surpassing the full amount of instances in last year.
In April, five people were sentenced for a previous year's plan to attack the prime minister while he was holding the position of Antwerp's mayor.
