Serbian police yesterday arrested 17 people in the Muslim-populated area of Sandzak after a suspected radical Islamist opened fire on the US embassy in Sarajevo, local media reported.
“This morning at 5am a [police] operation was launched against the extremist Islamist Wahhabi movement in the territory of Novi Pazar, Sjenica and Tutin,” Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told the Tanjug news agency.
All three towns are in southwestern Serbia with large Muslim communities.
“Seventeen people were arrested, one of them from Bosnia,” Serbian police chief Milorad Veljovic told the private B92 TV channel.
The arrests came after the attack on the US embassy by a Serbian national with ties to the local Wahhabi community, a radical branch of Islam.
“Police will determine whether there is a need to detain more people,” Veljovic said.
The suspected radical Islamist, a Serb national from Novi Pazar identified by Bosnian police as Mevlid Jasarevic, was wounded and arrested after opening fire on Friday on the US embassy in Sarajevo. A police guard was wounded in the attack.
Local TV showed video footage of a bearded man carrying a Kalashnikov rifle.
A special police unit shot and wounded the suspect before arresting him, police spokesman Irfan Nefic told national BHT TV.
“The person who fired an automatic weapon was wounded and arrested during the police operation,” he said. “After receiving medical treatment on the scene the person was hospitalized.”
A statement from the US embassy, which closed after the incident, confirmed that the building “had been attacked with an automatic weapon” and had been hit “several times.”
It urged US citizens to “use caution, watch for any suspicious or unusual activity and remain aware of their surroundings.”
US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland welcomed the prompt reaction of the Bosnian police.
Bosnian politicians were quick to denounce the attack.
“I firmly condemn the terrorist attack on the US embassy in Bosnia-Hercegovina,” Bakir Izetbegovic, the Muslim member of Bosnia’s three-man presidency, said in a statement.
Following the attack, Bosnian Acting President Zeljko Komsic met US ambassador Patrick Moon.
He told him that Bosnia was capable of “guaranteeing the security of all US citizens and diplomatic representatives” in the country.
“Our country is not a haven for terrorists,” he stressed, as the presidency said it had called a special meeting of all Bosnian police branches.
“I expect the competent authorities to carry out a quick and efficient investigation of this senseless act,” he added.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as the gunman opened fire.
“I was waiting for a tram when I saw right next to me this guy armed with a rifle firing at the embassy,” Igor Parac said. “People started running in all directions.”
Another eyewitness, Admir Hrenovica, told BHR1 TV the gun shots had lasted about 15 minutes.
“I first heard several bursts of gunfire and then single shots. People close to me threw themselves on the ground. It was total panic,” he said.
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
‘UNFRIENDLY’: Changing the nationality listing of Taiwanese residents to ‘China’ goes against EU foreign policy as well as democratic and human rights principles, MOFA said Taiwan yesterday called on Denmark to correct its designation of the nationality of Taiwanese residents as “China” or face retaliatory measures. The Danish government in 2024 changed the nationality of Taiwanese citizens on their residence permits from “Taiwan” to “China.” The decision goes against EU foreign policy and contravenes democratic and human rights principles, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said. Denmark should present a solution acceptable to Taiwan as soon as possible and correct the erroneous designation to preserve the longstanding friendship between the two nations, Hsiao said. The issue could damage Denmark’s image and business reputation in Taiwan,
SOUTH KOREA DISPUTE: If Seoul continues to ignore its request, Taiwan would change South Korea’s designation on its arrival cards, the foreign ministry said If South Korea does not reply appropriately to a request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, the government would take corresponding measures to change how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. Taipei has asked Seoul to change the wording. Since March 1, South Koreans who hold government-issued Alien Resident Certificates (ARC) have been identified as from “South Korea” rather than the “Republic of Korea,” the
SUFFICIENT: The president said Taiwan has enough oil for next month, with reserves covering more than 100 days and natural gas enough for 12 to 14 days A restart plan for the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) and the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春) would be submitted to the Nuclear Safety Commission by the end of the month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, reversing the government’s policy to abolish nuclear energy. On May 17 last year, Taiwan shut down its last nuclear reactor and became the first non-nuclear nation in East Asia, fulfilling the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government’s pledge of a “nuclear-free homeland.” Even without nuclear power, Taiwan can maintain a stable electricity supply until 2032,
RSS