Those detained yesterday in Antwerp on suspicion of a planned attack on Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever had other targets, including the chairman of the far-right Freedom Party in the Netherlands, Geert Wilders, Belgian media reported, quoted by BTA.
According to Belgian Minister of Internal Security Bernard Quentin, the list of suspects included local and foreign politicians. According to federal prosecutor Anne Fransen, those captured were jihadists. The media added that the list included Antwerp Mayor Els van Doesburg.
Last night, the media specified that two of those arrested were Belgian citizens of Moroccan origin, and the third was of Chechen origin - all of them are about 20 years old and it was established that they were preparing to carry out a drone attack. One of the detainees studied the specialty "Defense and Security" at the University of Antwerp. A court is due to determine the measures for the detention of the detainees later today.
Local media specify that several attacks against De Wever have been prevented so far and recall the case from 2023, when jihadists who pledged allegiance to the "Islamic State" (IS) group were detained with similar intentions. The main defendant in the case was sentenced to six years in prison and a fine of 16,000 euros, while the other defendants received lighter sentences. IS claimed responsibility for the 2016 Brussels airport and metro attacks, which killed 32 people and injured 340.
According to official figures, more than 80 new terrorism-related investigations have been opened in Belgium since the beginning of the year.