Alleged Plan to Attack Belgian PM Foiled
Belgian police have arrested three individuals allegedly involved in planning an assault on the government's premier, Bart de Wever.
Legal authorities described the suspected plan as a "jihadist-inspired terrorist attack" targeting the PM and fellow elected representatives.
During searches conducted in the Deurne area of Antwerp, close to the PM's private residence, investigators uncovered a suspected improvised explosive device and proof that the suspects were preparing to use a drone.
While the intended targets of the attack were not disclosed by name by the federal prosecutors, Second-in-command Maxime Prevot confirmed that de Wever was one of them.
"The news of a planned assault aimed at Premier Bart de Wever is deeply alarming," the deputy prime minister wrote in a update on social media on the day of the arrests.
"It highlights that we are facing a serious terrorism risk and that we have to keep watchful," he concluded.
The three suspects arrested on charges of terrorism-related attempted murder and involvement in the operations of a extremist organization all reside in Antwerp, as stated by the prosecutor's office. They were born in three different years between 2001 and 2007.
On Thursday evening, one of the individuals was let go, while two others were still being questioned and likely to be presented before a court on Friday.
The prosecution said that the accused were taken into custody after a court official ordered inspections of their dwellings in the urban area by police officers backed by explosive sniffer dogs.
Throughout these investigations that they discovered a device which appeared to be an IED, lead prosecutor Ann Fransen stated at a press conference on Thursday.
Investigations also revealed a collection of ball bearings and a additive manufacturing device, with signs of drone weaponization plans, she added.
Fransen disclosed that there had been 80 terrorism investigations launched in Belgium so far this year - exceeding the full amount of investigations in the previous year.
Earlier this year, five suspects were sentenced for a previous year's plan to target the prime minister while he was serving as the city's chief executive.
