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Belgian law enforcement have arrested three people accused of planning an assault on the government's premier, Bart de Wever.

Legal authorities characterized the reported plot as a terrorist act motivated by jihadist ideology targeting the premier and other government officials.

During raids conducted in Deurne, Antwerp, in proximity to the premier's home, officials found a alleged improvised explosive device and indications that the individuals were preparing to deploy a UAV.

While the prospective targets of the attack were not publicly identified by the prosecutor's office, Second-in-command Maxime Prevot stated that Belgium's leader was one of them.

"The news of a premeditated assault aimed at Prime Minister Bart de Wever is deeply alarming," the deputy prime minister declared in a post on X on Thursday.

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

The three people detained on allegations of attempted terrorist murder and participation in the operations of a terrorist group all live in the city of Antwerp, according to the legal authorities. They were had birth years in 2001, 2002 and 2007.

As of the evening of the arrests, one of the individuals was let go, while the other suspects were undergoing questioning and scheduled to face a judge on the next day.

Legal authorities stated that the accused were arrested after a court official ordered raids of their dwellings in the location by officials backed by explosive sniffer dogs.

In the course of these investigations that they found a device which "bore strong resemblances to an improvised explosive device", lead prosecutor Ann Fransen said at a press conference on Thursday.

Raids also revealed a "bag of steel balls" and a three-dimensional printer, with signs of drone weaponization plans, she noted.

Fransen said that there had been 80 extremist probes launched in the nation so far this year - more than the total number of investigations in 2024.

Earlier this year, five individuals were sentenced for a scheme last year to attack Belgium's leader while he was acting as Antwerp's mayor.