Suspected Plan to Strike Belgian Premier Thwarted
Belgium's police have taken into custody three people accused of planning an assault on the nation's prime minister, Bart de Wever.
Federal prosecutors labeled the reported scheme as a "jihadist-inspired terrorist attack" targeting the PM and other politicians.
During investigations conducted in the Deurne area of Antwerp, near the PM's private residence, authorities discovered a suspected IED and evidence that the suspects were preparing to use a drone.
While the prospective targets of the strike were not disclosed by name by the federal prosecutors, Second-in-command Maxime Prevot revealed that Belgium's leader was included in the targets.
"The news of a intended assault directed toward Premier Bart de Wever is profoundly disturbing," the deputy prime minister wrote in a post on social media on the investigation day.
"It highlights that we are facing a serious terrorism risk and that we have to remain vigilant," he concluded.
The three people detained on suspicion of plotting a terrorist killing and participation in the operations of a extremist organization all live in the city of Antwerp, per the legal authorities. They were born in the early 2000s.
As of Thursday evening, one suspect was freed, while the remaining two were under interrogation and likely to face a judge on Friday.
Legal authorities stated that the accused were detained after a magistrate authorized raids of their homes in the city by officials supported by explosive sniffer dogs.
In the course of these investigations that they located a item which "bore strong resemblances to an improvised explosive device", legal representative Ann Fransen said at a media briefing on the day of the events.
Raids also revealed a collection of ball bearings and a 3D printer, with evidence suggesting drone-based payload delivery, she noted.
Fransen stated that there had been 80 extremist probes opened in the country so far this year - more than the overall count of cases in the previous year.
In April, five suspects were convicted for a 2023 plot to target the prime minister while he was acting as the city's chief executive.