Slovakia's prime minister shot and wounded - suspect in custody

DPA
·1 min read
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico speaks during a press conference after a government meeting in Handlova Radovan Stoklasa/TASR/dpa
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico speaks during a press conference after a government meeting in Handlova Radovan Stoklasa/TASR/dpa
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Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico has been injured in a shooting and taken to hospital, with the suspect taken into custody, news agency TASR reported.

The shooting took place after a Cabinet meeting in the town of Handlová on Wednesday, the agency reported, citing the deputy leader of Fico's left-wing nationalist Smer party, Ľuboš Blaha.

TASR said several shots were fired and that a helicopter had been dispatched to recover the injured politician. The emergency services refused to immediately comment on Fico's condition, according to the report.

The police evacuated the cultural centre where the government meeting was being held. Handlová lies about 190 kilometres north-west of the capital Bratislava.

"Utterly shocked by today's brutal attack on Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, which I condemn in strongest possible terms," wrote President Zuzana Čaputová on X.

"I wish him lot of strength in this critical moment and early recovery. My thoughts are also with his family and close ones," she wrote in English.

Fico's latest term as prime minister began in October. The 59-year-old previously held the post of prime minister from 2006 to 2010 and 2012 to 2018.

(L-R) Slovak Minister of Investment, Regional Development and Information Richard Rai, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Richard Takae, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Denisa Sakova, Prime Minister Robert Fico and Minister of Transport Jozef Ra Jr. speak during a press conference after a government meeting in Handlova Radovan Stoklasa/TASR/dpa