Suspected Plan to Strike Belgian Prime Minister Prevented
Belgian authorities have arrested three individuals suspected of planning an attack on the country's premier, Bart de Wever.
Federal prosecutors labeled the suspected scheme as a "jihadist-inspired terrorist attack" targeting the PM and other government officials.
During investigations conducted in Antwerp's Deurne district, in proximity to the PM's personal dwelling, authorities discovered a alleged IED and proof that the suspects were planning to use a UAV.
While the planned victims of the assault were not officially named by the legal authorities, Second-in-command Maxime Prevot stated that de Wever was included in the targets.
"The news of a planned attack aimed at PM Bart de Wever is extremely shocking," the deputy prime minister stated in a update on X on the investigation day.
"It highlights that we are confronting a very real terrorist threat and that we have to stay alert," he continued.
The three individuals detained on allegations of attempted terrorist murder and involvement in the operations of a terrorist group all live in the Antwerp region, as stated by the legal authorities. They were had birth years in the early 2000s.
By the evening of the arrests, one person was freed, while the other suspects were undergoing questioning and scheduled to face a judge on Friday.
The prosecution stated that the accused were taken into custody after a judge directed searches of their residences in the city by police officers assisted by explosive sniffer dogs.
Throughout these searches that they located a object which "bore strong resemblances to an improvised explosive device", federal prosecutor Ann Fransen stated at a media briefing on the day of the events.
Searches also found a collection of ball bearings and a additive manufacturing device, with "indications that they intended to use a drone to attach a payload", she continued.
The prosecutor disclosed that there had been 80 extremist probes initiated in the nation in the current year - surpassing the full amount of instances in 2024.
In April, five suspects were convicted for a previous year's plan to strike De Wever while he was holding the position of the mayor of Antwerp.
