International

Belgium: Three arrested over 'explosive device' plot in Antwerp

Belgian police arrested three young men in Antwerp suspected of preparing a jihadist-inspired terrorist attack, Federal Prosecutor Ann Fransen announced.

The suspects, aged 18, 23 and 24, are alleged to have planned to detonate an explosive device. One of the men has been released, while the other two are due to appear before an investigating magistrate on 10 October.

Government sources in Brussels cited by AFP said one of the possible targets was Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever. The information has not been officially confirmed. But local media reported that the searches took place only a few hundred metres from the Prime Minister's Antwerp residence, DW said.

Reacting to the events, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said he was "deeply shocked" by the attempted attack on the Prime Minister.

"This reminds us that the terrorist threat remains real and that we must be vigilant," the diplomat wrote on the X platform (formerly Twitter).

Authorities are continuing their investigation to establish the suspects' international connections and the possible motives for the planned attack.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

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