Belgian authorities have said three young adults have been arrested over a plot to use explosive drones in an attack on senior politicians, including Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
The arrests were made in the northern city of Antwerp were part of an investigation into "attempted terrorist murder and participation in the activities of a terrorist group", federal prosecutor Ann Fransen said.
"There are also indications that the suspects aimed to construct a drone capable of carrying a payload," she added.
The prosecutor's office declined to identify the intended targets, but Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said in a post on X that Mr De Wever, who was Antwerp's mayor before becoming prime minister, was among those under threat.
"The news of a planned assassination attempt on Prime Minister Bart De Wever is deeply shocking," Mr Prevot said. "Belgium is actively strengthening its capacities to deal with new forms of terrorism, particularly through the fight against the malicious use of drones."
Police searched a residence a few hundred metres from Mr De Wever's home in the city, reports said. "During a search of one suspect's home, an improvised device, potentially explosive but not yet operational, was found, along with a bag containing metal pellets," Ms Fransen said.
At the home of a second suspect, police discovered a 3D printer "believed to have been intended for manufacturing components useful in carrying out an attack", she added.
The suspects were born in 2001, 2002 and 2007. Two of them were questioned by federal police and are due to appear before an investigating judge on Friday. The third suspect was released.
Brussels has faced terrorist attacks in the past. In March 2016, more than 30 people were killed in bombings in the Brussels subway and airport.
