Firebombs Hit Homes in Pelt and Houthalen; Suspect Held

Two firebombs were thrown at homes in the neighboring Limburg municipalities of Pelt and Houthalen-Helchteren overnight, about three minutes apart. Police arrested one suspect in Houthalen-Helchteren, and the Limburg prosecutor’s office is investigating whether the two incidents are linked. No one was injured, and the damage was material, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Both incidents occurred around 1:30 AM on Sunday, 27 September 2026, VRT NWS reported. The attack in Houthalen-Helchteren took place in the Stationsstraat shortly before 1:30 AM, while the incident in the Torenstraat in Pelt happened about three minutes earlier. The prosecutor’s office confirmed both facts on Sunday morning.

A suspect was arrested by the local police of the CARMA zone after the incidents in Houthalen-Helchteren and was taken to a police station for questioning, VRT NWS reported.

Damage Reported

In Pelt, two vehicles parked at the targeted house sustained severe damage, and the fire brigade of the Noord-Limburg zone came to the Torenstraat to extinguish a fire, according to VRT NWS. In Houthalen-Helchteren, the fire brigade of the Oost-Limburg zone responded to the Stationsstraat.

“For now it is mainly material damage,” parketmagistraat Anne Loenders told HLN. “In Pelt several vehicles in the vicinity were also damaged. In Houthalen the home and a vehicle sustained damage.”

Investigation Underway

Investigators have not yet established whether the two attacks are connected. “A link between both incidents is being investigated,” Loenders told VRT NWS. “The judicial laboratory will go to Houthalen-Helchteren and Pelt on Sunday morning to conduct a trace investigation. Their findings will also have to reveal what exactly was thrown at the properties.”

On the question of whether the two incidents are related, the prosecutor’s office told HLN: “That still has to be investigated.”

According to the prosecutor’s office, there are indications that the devices may not be classic Molotov cocktails. “The police had certain suspicions about that. It would not be a Molotov cocktail,” Loenders said, adding that the laboratory must provide certainty. Investigators also want to determine whether the same type of firebomb was used in both incidents, HLN reported. The judicial laboratory was expected to establish which materials were used to build the devices.

What to Watch

The coming days are likely to bring clarity on two fronts: what type of device was used, and whether the two attacks are connected. The questioning of the arrested suspect may shed light on motive and on whether additional perpetrators were involved.

No injuries were reported at either location. The prosecutor’s office said it takes the case seriously.