A "terrorist" investigation opens in Belgium after a former soldier threatened Prime Minister

The Federal Prosecutor's Office in Belgium announced on Friday the opening of a "terrorist" investigation into suspicions of a previous military threat against Prime Minister Alexander De Croo through a video.

The video, which was broadcasted by several media outlets, shows an individual firing shots in a forest towards an image of De Croo hanging on a tree. While the person's face remained concealed, he can be heard saying that he is a former soldier who fled the army "to hide."

The individual in the video spoke in English and claimed to be currently in Norway.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office stated in a statement that an investigation has been launched into a "threat of a terrorist attack" and has been handed over to a specialized investigative judge in terrorism cases in Brussels.

The Prosecutor's Office mentioned in the statement that the suspect, "born in 1993, is a former military member who recently left the army. Some of his statements pose threats against the Belgian Prime Minister and/or government members."

The police raided the suspect's residence in Borgloon, in the province of Limburg (northwest), predominantly Dutch-speaking, but did not find him.

They clarified that the person "recently left the country."

During the raid, the police used an explosives disposal team, and a security perimeter was established around the area.

The Prime Minister sought to downplay the significance of the threat posed by the former soldier.

He stated that he is "listening to our security services, and their analysis is that there is nothing that prompts me to take shelter (...) or be concerned," in statements to the "VRT" channel during his visit to the Poperinge region (east).

Belgium was shaken two years ago by the case of Jürgen Conings, a soldier who embraced far-right principles and fled his barracks in the spring of 2021 with rocket launchers in his possession.

The soldier, who was forty-six years old, was considered a threat for several months by the Belgian Organization for the Analysis of Terrorist Threats (OCAD). He was suspected of planning an attack against Belgian officials and a renowned virologist in the country.

After being hunted for over a month, his body was found in a forested area in Limburg. The investigation concluded that Conings had died by suicide.


AFP