Manhunt launched for heavily armed soldier who threatened Belgian virologist

Jurgen Conings went missing after stealing a rocket launcher, sub-machine gun and pistol from his barracks

Dr Marc Van Ranst and his family have been taken into protective custody (AP/Francisco Seco)

Belgian police have launched a manhunt for a heavily armed soldier with links to the far right who threatened the country’s most famous coronavirus expert.

The 46-year-old, named in media as Jurgen Conings, went missing on Monday after stealing a rocket launcher, a sub-machine gun and a pistol, as well as a bulletproof vest, from his barracks.

The country’s justice minister, Vincent Van Quickenborne, described the man as an "acute threat" who is known for his extreme-right sympathies.

Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo said:“The real question is of course: how is this possible?”

“Someone who has already made threats in the past – that this man within defence has access to weapons and can even take those weapons with him,” Mr De Croo said. “It is unacceptable.”

Authorities have recovered Conings’s car in northeast Belgium.

Earlier this month, he had threatened several people, including Marc Van Ranst, one of Belgium’s best-known virologists at work on containing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Van Ranst and his family have been taken into protective police custody.

In a Twitter message on Wednesday, Dr Van Ranst said: “Being against Covid measures and Covid vaccines all too often coincides with aggression of violence and raw racism.

“Let one thing be clear: such threats do not make an impression on me.”

Mr De Croo insisted that the defence forces and the security services come up with a proposal as soon as Thursday “to prevent such a thing from ever happening again”.

The hunt began after letters which appeared to be written by Conings were discovered. The writer said they no longer wished to live in “a society ruled by politicians and virologists” and said they would “join the resistance”.

Belgian authorities have been combing Limburg province in the northeast of the country.

"It is feared that he intends to carry out a violent action, against himself or against other persons, but the correct possible targets are still unclear,” public prosecutor Eric Van Duyse said.