Belgian security services arrested three young adults on Thursday 9 October in Antwerp. During house searches, investigators found a homemade explosive, steel balls, a 3D printer and plans to deploy a drone. Several politicians are said to have been the target of a jihadist-inspired attack, according to the prosecutor’s office. One of them is certainly Prime Minister Bart De Wever. This shows that terrorism is back from never having gone away.
Modern technology as a weapon
This is the first time in Belgium that a drone could possibly be used as a terrorist weapon, although the same phenomenon has already occurred in neighbouring countries. In March, a similar attack with a drone was thwarted in France, said Ann Lukowiak, press magistrate of the federal prosecutor’s office.
You see it more often: technology that is first developed for commercial or recreational purposes is therefore also easily accessible to people who want to do bad things with it. The authorities logically remain vague about the precise plan against Prime Minister Bart De Wever, but during house searches an (not yet active) explosive charge, steel balls and a 3D printer were also found.
Why are drones dangerous?
Drones pose a unique threat because they:
- Are relatively cheap and easily available
- Can be controlled remotely
- Are difficult to detect and stop
- Can transport loads to hard-to-reach locations
✈ More about drones?
What do we know about the suspects?
3 young men arrested
The police arrested three young adults aged 18, 23 and 24, all in Antwerp. One of them lived near the house of Prime Minister Bart De Wever, the target of their attack. They knew each other personally. The oldest suspect has already been released due to lack of evidence.
- Noteworthy: The 18-year-old studied Defence and Security at the Sint-Norbertus Institute. The 23-year-old followed a cybersecurity course at a university college. A house search has also meanwhile taken place at the Sint-Norbertus Institute.
Jihadism as a motive
“There are indications that the intention was to commit a jihadist-inspired terrorist attack targeting politicians”, said federal prosecutor Ann Fransen. Other Belgian politicians are also said to be the target of the attack.
The broader context of increasing threat
The threat level in Belgium currently stands at 3 on a scale of 4, which means that an attack is considered possible and likely. This level has been in place since October 2023.
The figures speak for themselves:
- This year, 80 new terror investigations have already been opened, more than the total in 2024
- Last year, more than 100 magistrates and politicians needed additional security because they were targeted