Belgian police have arrested three suspects accused of planning terrorist attacks using drones loaded with explosives, with targets reportedly including Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders, Belgian media reported on Friday.
Police raided four locations in Antwerp on Thursday morning, seizing materials for a potential improvised explosive device (IED), steels balls and a 3D printer. One of the raids took place just a few hundred meters from the prime minister’s home, according to De Standaard.
Authorities believe the suspects, born between 2001 and 2007, were motivated by jihadist ideology. None have prior criminal records, though some were already known to police, a Belgian Federal Police spokesman told Euractiv.
Islamist drone plot near Belgian PM’s home foiled
Belgian authorities said Thursday they had arrested three young adults for plotting a jihadist-inspired attack…
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Wilders among alleged targets
Flemish media outlet VTM NIEUWS reported that Wilders, along with Antwerp mayor Els Van Doesburg, was also among the potential targets. Belgian Federal Police did not immediately confirm the reports when contacted by Euractiv.
Wilders, who leads the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), wrote on social media that he was awaiting confirmation of the alleged plot. “Until I know for sure, I’m not going anywhere,” he posted on Friday.
The PVV currently leads opinion polls ahead of the Dutch parliamentary elections later this month. The party is the senior partner in a coalition government led by former intelligence chief Dick Schoof. PVV quit the coalition earlier this year over disagreements on migration, prompting early elections.
Rising terror threat
Belgium has opened more than 80 terrorism investigations so far this year — already exceeding the total number of cases in 2024. These figures do not include proceedings involving minors.
Authorities have raised concerns about the use of drones in potential attacks, following several recent incidents in Europe involving extremist plots.
“Drones are a big problem. Islamism is too, but we’ve known that for a while,” Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken, a party colleague of De Wever, posted on social media on Thursday.
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