đŸ”— Share this article Suspected Plan to Target Belgian PM Prevented Belgian law enforcement have taken into custody three individuals accused of planning an attack on the government's premier, Bart de Wever. Federal prosecutors labeled the reported plot as a "jihadist-inspired terrorist attack" targeting the prime minister and fellow elected representatives. During searches conducted in the Deurne area of Antwerp, close to the prime minister's private residence, investigators uncovered a alleged IED and proof that the individuals were planning to deploy a drone. While the prospective targets of the strike were not officially named by the legal authorities, Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot revealed that de Wever was one of them. "Information of a premeditated assault directed toward PM Bart de Wever is extremely shocking," Prevot declared in a post on social media on the investigation day. "It emphasizes that we are confronting a serious terrorist threat and that we have to remain vigilant," he continued. The three people arrested on suspicion of attempted terrorist murder and involvement in the activities of a extremist organization all reside in Antwerp, per the prosecutor's office. They were born in 2001, 2002 and 2007. By the evening of the arrests, one person was let go, while two others were still being questioned and scheduled to face a judge on Friday. Legal authorities said that the individuals were detained after a magistrate ordered raids of their residences in the location by officials supported by explosive sniffer dogs. It was during these searches that they found a device which closely resembled a homemade bomb, lead prosecutor Ann Fransen stated at a media briefing on the day of the events. Investigations also uncovered a "bag of steel balls" and a additive manufacturing device, with evidence suggesting drone-based payload delivery, she continued. Fransen stated that there had been 80 extremist probes initiated in the nation in the current year - exceeding the overall count of investigations in the previous year. During the spring, five individuals were convicted for a 2023 plot to attack the prime minister while he was acting as Antwerp's mayor.