Alleged Plan to Attack Belgian Prime Minister Thwarted
Belgium's authorities have detained three people accused of planning an attack on the country's PM, Bart de Wever.
Prosecutors labeled the alleged plot as a extremist assault with jihadist roots targeting the premier and other government officials.
During raids conducted in the Deurne area of Antwerp, close to the premier's home, investigators uncovered a potential homemade bomb and proof that the suspects were intending to use a unmanned aerial vehicle.
While the planned victims of the strike were not publicly identified by the legal authorities, Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot revealed that Belgium's leader was included in the targets.
"The news of a planned assault targeting PM Bart de Wever is extremely shocking," Prevot wrote in a post on online platforms on the day of the arrests.
"It emphasizes that we are facing a very real extremist danger and that we have to remain vigilant," he added.
The three suspects arrested on allegations of terrorism-related attempted murder and participation in the functions of a jihadist network all reside in the Antwerp region, per the federal prosecutors. They were born in 2001, 2002 and 2007.
As of late Thursday, one suspect was let go, while the other suspects were undergoing questioning and likely to appear in court on Friday.
The prosecution revealed that the individuals were taken into custody after a judge ordered inspections of their residences in the location by officials supported by explosive sniffer dogs.
It was during these raids that they found a device which closely resembled a homemade bomb, federal prosecutor Ann Fransen stated at a news conference on that day.
Raids also found a container of metal spheres and a 3D printer, with evidence suggesting drone-based payload delivery, she added.
The official said that there had been eighty counter-terrorism cases launched in the country in the current year - more than the total number of instances in last year.
In April, five people were found guilty for a 2023 plot to target Belgium's leader while he was serving as Antwerp's mayor.
