Reported Plan to Attack Belgian Prime Minister Foiled
Belgium's police have detained three people accused of plotting an attack on the government's premier, Bart de Wever.
Federal prosecutors characterized the suspected scheme as a terrorist act motivated by jihadist ideology targeting the premier and other politicians.
During raids conducted in the Deurne area of Antwerp, in proximity to the prime minister's home, officials found a potential improvised explosive device and proof that the accused were preparing to employ a UAV.
While the prospective targets of the attack were not publicly identified by the federal prosecutors, Vice Premier Maxime Prevot confirmed that Belgium's leader was among them.
"Information of a premeditated attack aimed at Premier Bart de Wever is extremely shocking," the official wrote in a message on social media on Thursday.
"This underscores that we are dealing with a genuine terrorist threat and that we have to keep watchful," he continued.
The three people arrested on suspicion of attempted terrorist murder and involvement in the activities of a extremist organization all are based in the city of Antwerp, according to the federal prosecutors. They were born in three different years between 2001 and 2007.
By the evening of the arrests, one suspect was released, while the remaining two were still being questioned and scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
The prosecution revealed that the accused were arrested after a judge ordered searches of their dwellings in the urban area by officials backed by explosives-trained dogs.
It was during these searches that they located a object which "bore strong resemblances to an improvised explosive device", federal prosecutor Ann Fransen said at a media briefing on the day of the events.
Investigations also uncovered a collection of ball bearings and a 3D printer, with signs of drone weaponization plans, she added.
The official stated that there had been eighty counter-terrorism cases launched in Belgium so far this year - exceeding the total number of investigations in the previous year.
Earlier this year, five suspects were convicted for a scheme last year to attack Belgium's leader while he was acting as the mayor of Antwerp.
