THE HAGUE: Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders on Friday suspended campaigning for elections later this month, after learning that he had also been targeted in a foiled attack aimed at Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever.


Hours after having canceled a planned radio debate, the anti-Islam, anti-immigrant firebrand wrote on the social media platform X that he was informed of the threat by the Dutch intelligence agency NCTV.


"The NCTV does not foresee any 'residual threat' but I have a bad feeling and I am therefore suspending all my campaign activities for the time being," Wilders added.


Wilders has faced death threats that have kept him under constant police protection since 2004.


The latest came with campaigning for the Dutch election in full swing, with Wilders's party, the Party for Freedom (PVV), leading in the opinion polls ahead of the upcoming ballot.


On Thursday, Belgian authorities arrested three people accused of planning "a jihadist-inspired terrorist attack against political figures" using drone-mounted explosives.


A spokesperson for the Belgian prosecutor's office said two of the suspects were placed in preventive detention, facing terrorism-related charges. The office said in a statement they were to be arraigned in court on Wednesday.


Belgian TV channel VRT reported that Wilders, who has long been the target of jihadist groups, may also have figured in the group's plans.


'Not going anywhere' 

Prosecutors declined to name the figures involved in the reported plot, but sources close to De Wever said the prime minister was among them.


The Belgian leader has yet to officially react, but he gave a thumbs-up to television cameras Friday — and appeared to make light of the incident with a cartoon-like post on social media in which he asks his cat if it knows how to catch drones.


Wilders reposted on X a link to a Belgian media article reporting he was also a target, commenting: "It is now being investigated whether this is true or not."


"Until I know that, I'm not going anywhere."


Broadcaster RTL later said that Wilders would not take part in a Sunday television debate with his main election rivals in person.


RTL said it had offered Wilders the opportunity to debate from home, but reported his party had declined the offer.


Many Dutch voters are still undecided ahead of the ballot on October 29, triggered after Wilders shocked the Dutch political class by provoking the fall of a fragile four-party coalition.


His PVV hopes to repeat its surprise success in the November 2023 ballot, which saw the far-right party come out on top.