Belgian police have arrested three people suspected of plotting an attack on the country's prime minister, Bart de Wever.
The alleged plot was described by prosecutors as a jihadist-inspired terrorist attack on the PM and other politicians.
Authorities found a suspected improvised explosive device and evidence the suspects were planning to use a drone during searches in Deurne, Antwerp, close to the prime minister's private residence.
The intended targets of the attack were not named by the prosecutor's office, but Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot said that de Wever was among them.
The news of a planned attack targeting Prime Minister Bart de Wever is extremely shocking, Prevot wrote in a post on X on Thursday.
It highlights that we are facing a very real terrorist threat and that we have to remain vigilant, he added.
The three individuals, suspected of attempted terrorist murder and participation in the activities of a terrorist group, live in Antwerp and were born in 2001, 2002, and 2007.
As of Thursday evening, one suspect was released, while the other two were still being questioned and expected to appear in court on Friday.
Federal prosecutors announced the arrests after a judge ordered searches of the suspects' homes, aided by explosive sniffer dogs. During these searches, a device that strongly resembled an improvised explosive was discovered, along with a bag of steel balls and a 3D printer indicating plans to use a drone to attach a payload.
Fransen mentioned that there had been 80 terrorism investigations opened in Belgium this year—more than the total for 2024.
This incident follows a conviction in April of five individuals involved in a 2023 plot against De Wever when he was serving as mayor of Antwerp.
