Belgian authorities have detained three young men in Antwerp on suspicion of preparing a jihadist-inspired terrorist attack targeting politicians, with media reporting that Prime Minister Bart De Wever was among the intended targets.
Two of the suspects remain in custody and are due to appear before an investigating judge on Friday; a third was released after questioning.
Federal prosecutors said searches in the Deurne district uncovered an improvised explosive device that was not yet operational, along with a bag of steel balls. At a separate address, police found a 3D printer believed to have been used for fabricating components. Investigators also identified indications that the group intended to use a drone to carry a payload. The men, born in 2001, 2002 and 2007, are being investigated for attempted terrorist murder and participation in the activities of a terrorist group.
Prosecutors did not name specific targets. However, public broadcaster VRT, citing a reliable source, reported that the suspected plan was directed at Mr De Wever. Other Belgian outlets, including De Morgen and HLN, reported that the plot envisaged the use of an explosives-bearing drone and that multiple politicians may have been targeted.
A press briefing by the federal prosecutor’s office in Antwerp outlined the basis of the case and the items seized, but further operational detail was withheld pending judicial proceedings. Officials described the suspected motive as jihadist-inspired. Two of the suspects are expected to appear before the investigating judge on 10 October; the third was released during the day.
The arrests follow a series of recent Belgian cases involving threats against senior political figures. In April, the Antwerp Court of Appeal imposed prison sentences of up to six years on members of a group convicted of preparing an attack that included an assassination plot against Mr De Wever; the court convicted the defendants for preparing a terrorist attack but acquitted them of attempted terrorist assassination. In 2023, Belgian media also reported that several radicalised youths had considered targeting Mr De Wever and police facilities. These earlier matters are distinct from the current investigation but form part of a broader security context.
Belgium’s federal judiciary has warned this year of increasing pressure on counter-terrorism resources amid a rise in investigations. Thursday’s detentions add to ongoing concerns over the potential use of commercially available technology—such as hobbyist drones and desktop 3D printers—in attack planning. In the current case, investigators say they found signs of an intended drone deployment and components potentially manufactured on a 3D printer, though the seized explosive device was not functional at the time it was discovered.
Local reports state that the searches took place close to Mr De Wever’s private residence in Antwerp, though prosecutors have not publicly confirmed locations beyond the city. Media coverage has indicated that at least some of the suspects were already known to authorities; official confirmation of previous contacts with law enforcement has not been provided. The investigation remains under the supervision of the Antwerp federal prosecutor’s office.
No injuries were reported. Authorities did not announce changes to the national threat level, and there has been no official guidance to the public beyond standard appeals for vigilance. Belgian law allows for suspects to be held while a judicial investigation proceeds, with decisions on pre-trial detention to be taken by the investigating judge after the initial hearings.
Internationally, the case echoes other recent European incidents involving violence or planned attacks against government leaders. In May 2024, Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, survived an assassination attempt following a government meeting in Handlová. The current Belgian investigation, while separate, will likely renew debate in Brussels and the regions about personal protection arrangements for senior office-holders and the adequacy of legal tools to address technology-enabled attack planning.
Further updates are expected after the court appearances on Friday. For now, prosecutors emphasise that the investigation concerns an alleged plot at an early stage, with multiple forensic examinations under way on the seized items.
