Belgian authorities, on Thursday, October 9, arrested three young adults suspected of a jihadist-inspired plot to attack Prime Minister Bart De Wever and other politicians using drone-mounted explosives. The arrests were made in the northern city of Antwerp as part of an investigation into "attempted terrorist murder and participation in the activities of a terrorist group," federal prosecutor Ann Fransen told a news conference.
"Certain elements indicate that the suspects intended to carry out a jihadist-inspired terrorist attack against political figures," Fransen said. "There are also indications that the suspects aimed to construct a drone capable of carrying a payload."
The prosecutor's office declined to name the intended targets, but sources close to the prime minister confirmed to AFP that De Wever was among them.
Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot called the news "deeply shocking," voicing "gratitude to security services and the judiciary whose swift action helped prevent the worst."
"I express my full support to the prime minister, his wife and his family," Prevot wrote on X, calling it "a forceful reminder that the terrorist threat is a real one – and that we must remain vigilant."
"Belgium is actively strengthening its capabilities to address new forms of terrorism, particularly through efforts to combat the malicious use of drones," he added.
Defense Minister Theo Francken likewise posted a message of support for De Wever.
According to reports, the four premises searched by police included a residence located just a few hundred metres from the home of the prime minister – who was Antwerp's mayor before taking office early this year.
"During a search of one suspect's home, an improvised device – potentially explosive but not yet operational – was found, along with a bag containing metal pellets," Fransen said.
At the home of a second suspect, police discovered a 3D printer "believed to have been intended for manufacturing components useful in carrying out an attack," the prosecutor added.
The suspects were born in 2001, 2002 and 2007. Two of them were being questioned by federal police and were due to appear before an investigating judge on Friday. The third suspect was released.
De Wever has faced similar threats before. Five people were convicted in April this year of a 2023 plot to attack him while he was serving as Antwerp's mayor, with at least one of the accused known to have spread radical Islamic propaganda online. Authorities had successfully foiled the plan in its early stages.
Belgium in 2016 was rocked by jihadist suicide bomb attacks at its airport and in its metro system that killed 32 people and wounded hundreds. They came a year after attacks in Paris in which 130 people were killed.
The attacks in both countries were claimed by the Islamic State group. The only surviving member of the cell that carried out the Paris attacks, Belgian-born French citizen Salah Abdeslam, was also convicted of involvement in the Brussels bombings.