Suspected Scheme to Target Belgian Prime Minister Prevented
Belgium's police have arrested three people accused of conspiring to carry out an assault on the country's PM, Bart de Wever.
Federal prosecutors labeled the alleged scheme as a extremist assault with jihadist roots targeting the premier and additional government officials.
During searches conducted in the Deurne area of Antwerp, near the PM's home, investigators found a potential improvised explosive device and evidence that the individuals were intending to use a UAV.
While the prospective targets of the assault were not disclosed by name by the prosecutor's office, Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot stated that Belgium's leader was included in the targets.
"Information of a planned strike directed toward PM Bart de Wever is extremely shocking," the deputy prime minister wrote in a post on X on Thursday.
"This underscores that we are facing a genuine terrorist threat and that we have to remain vigilant," he concluded.
The three suspects detained on suspicion of plotting a terrorist killing and participation in the activities of a extremist organization all reside in Antwerp, as stated by the legal authorities. They were had birth years in the early 2000s.
On late Thursday, one suspect was released, while the other suspects were still being questioned and likely to be presented before a court on Friday.
Legal authorities said that the accused were detained after a court official authorized searches of their homes in the location by police officers assisted by explosive sniffer dogs.
It was during these investigations that they discovered a object which closely resembled a homemade bomb, lead prosecutor Ann Fransen said at a news conference on that day.
Raids also revealed a "bag of steel balls" and a 3D printer, with evidence suggesting drone-based payload delivery, she continued.
The prosecutor said that there had been 80 terrorism investigations launched in the nation this year - surpassing the full amount of cases in last year.
Earlier this year, five people were convicted for a 2023 plot to target the prime minister while he was holding the position of Antwerp's mayor.
