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Belgian police have arrested three people allegedly involved in planning an assault on the country's PM, Bart de Wever.

Federal prosecutors characterized the alleged scheme as a terrorist act motivated by jihadist ideology targeting the PM and fellow politicians.

During raids conducted in Antwerp's Deurne district, close to the premier's home, officials found a potential improvised explosive device and evidence that the individuals were planning to deploy a drone.

While the prospective targets of the attack were not publicly identified by the legal authorities, Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot revealed that de Wever was included in the targets.

"Reports of a intended assault targeting Prime Minister Bart de Wever is profoundly disturbing," the official stated in a message on X on Thursday.

"It emphasizes that we are dealing with a serious extremist danger and that we have to remain vigilant," he added.

The three individuals detained on suspicion of attempted terrorist murder and engagement in the operations of a jihadist network all are based in the Antwerp region, per the federal prosecutors. They were born in the early 2000s.

As of Thursday evening, one suspect was released, while the other suspects were undergoing questioning and expected to face a judge on Friday.

Legal authorities stated that the accused were taken into custody after a magistrate directed raids of their dwellings in the location by officials assisted by bomb detection canines.

It was during these searches that they found a item which "bore strong resemblances to an improvised explosive device", lead prosecutor Ann Fransen announced at a news conference on that day.

Investigations also revealed a container of metal spheres and a additive manufacturing device, with signs of drone weaponization plans, she continued.

The prosecutor stated that there had been 80 terrorism investigations launched in the nation this year - surpassing the total number of investigations in 2024.

In April, five people were convicted for a scheme last year to target the prime minister while he was serving as the city's chief executive.