Belgian authorities have arrested a 14-year-old boy accused of planning a terrorist attack on a mosque, officials announced Thursday, according to DW.
Prosecutors stated that the teen, who is allegedly linked to a far-right movement, intended to carry out the attack on Friday.
A tip-off led local law enforcement to raid the suspect’s home at dawn, where they confiscated weapons. Officials believe the teenager had been preparing the attack for some time. The suspect has since been placed in a youth detention center, according to prosecutors.
Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt confirmed the suspect’s age and described the case as a troubling sign of growing extremism among minors. During a parliamentary session, Van Tigchelt said that Belgium’s intelligence services are monitoring hundreds of individuals for potential radicalization, with a significant number being minors.
Belgian intelligence recently reported that nearly one-third of individuals suspected of plotting attacks in the past two years were under 18. Van Tigchelt attributed the alarming trend to rapid radicalization fueled by social media. He described the platform’s role in “brainwashing” young people as a pressing challenge for authorities.
Currently, around 600 individuals who have been identified as extremists are under surveillance in Belgium, according to official data cited by DW.