Belgian authorities have foiled a suspected jihadist-inspired terrorist attack aimed at the country’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever and other top politicians.
Three young men were arrested in Antwerp today as part of an investigation into alleged attempted murder and membership of a terrorist group, according to the federal public prosecutor’s office.
The plot, which appears to involve plans to deploy an explosive device via drone, was dismantled before it could be executed, potentially averting an assault that might have occurred as early as the same day.
An improvised explosive device was discovered during a police search of one suspect’s home in the northern city of Antwerp, where the arrests took place only a few hundred metres away from De Wever’s private residence.
“There are indications that the intention was to carry out a jihadist-inspired terrorist attack targeting politicians,” said federal prosecutor Ann Fransen during a special press conference.
She said that next to the explosive device, which had “strong similarities with an IED, an improvised explosive device”, they also found “a bag with steel pellets”.
At another suspect’s house, researchers found a 3D printer “which can be presumed to have been used to make components for the attack”, she said.
It is a historic first in Belgium that a drone might be used in a terrorist attack. In March, French police were able to prevent a similar attack.
The three suspects have Belgian nationality and a migrant background, according to reports. One 18-year-old and one 24-year-old have Moroccan roots and one 23-year-old Chechen. They were friends and all lived in Antwerp.
The 24-year-old suspect was released yesterday due to insufficient evidence.
The two others were reportedly students of defence and security.
Two of the three suspects were reportedly already known to the authorities for minor offences.
The public prosecutor’s office had been investigating the terrorist cell since September.
The overall threat level in Belgium remained at level 3 on a scale of 1 to 4, meaning the threat is considered serious and an attack is possible and likely.
During the press conference, Franssen stated that around 80 new terrorism investigations have already been opened this year by the federal prosecutor’s terrorism division, more than the total number of cases in 2024.
This figure does not include terrorism cases involving minors.
Three Belgian teenagers who allegedly planned to attack a Brussels concert hall are also being accused of scheming to destroy the Eiffel Tower in Paris. https://t.co/qWLuxK9XVs
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) March 21, 2024
De Wever himself appeared to react stoic to the foiled terror plot on his life.
When asked by journalists: “Everything under control” when he passed them to join budget talks, he made a thumbs up gesture.
He did not appear to have change his schedule and has not publicly commented in depth on it yet.
On the Instagram page of his cat, Maximus Textoris Pulcher, a cartoon appeared, showing De Wever asking his cat if he could catch drones.
Politicians of all parties showed support for De Wever, who was in the crosshairs of terrorists in June last year.
The chair of the House Committee on Home Affairs, Ortwin Depoortere, of opposition party Vlaams Belang, will convene a committee with all relevant ministers to discuss the terrorist threat.
