Alleged Scheme to Attack Belgian Prime Minister Foiled

Belgian PM Bart de Wever

Belgium's law enforcement have arrested three suspects accused of conspiring to carry out an assault on the government's PM, Bart de Wever.

Federal prosecutors described the alleged scheme as a "jihadist-inspired terrorist attack" targeting the PM and fellow politicians.

During raids conducted in the Deurne area of Antwerp, close to the PM's home, investigators uncovered a potential IED and indications that the individuals were preparing to use a drone.

While the prospective targets of the strike were not disclosed by name by the federal prosecutors, Vice Premier Maxime Prevot stated that de Wever was one of them.

"Reports of a intended attack aimed at PM Bart de Wever is profoundly disturbing," Prevot stated in a update on online platforms on the investigation day.

"It emphasizes that we are facing a genuine terrorist threat and that we have to keep watchful," he added.

The three suspects detained on suspicion of attempted terrorist murder and involvement in the activities of a jihadist network all reside in the Antwerp region, as stated by the legal authorities. They were with years of birth in the early 2000s.

As of late Thursday, one person was let go, while the remaining two were undergoing questioning and scheduled to appear in court on the next day.

Federal prosecutors said that the suspects were arrested after a court official ordered searches of their homes in the city by law enforcement assisted by bomb detection canines.

Throughout these raids that they found a item which closely resembled a homemade bomb, federal prosecutor Ann Fransen said at a media briefing on that day.

Searches also found a collection of ball bearings and a 3D printer, with "indications that they intended to use a drone to attach a payload", she noted.

The prosecutor disclosed that there had been 80 terrorism investigations opened in the country in the current year - surpassing the full amount of investigations in the previous year.

In April, five people were found guilty for a previous year's plan to target the prime minister while he was serving as Antwerp's mayor.

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