Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Fico, has been seriously wounded in a shooting in Handlova, according to local media. His injuries are life-threatening.
The head of government was rushed to the hospital while the suspected assailant was apprehended by the police.
Eyewitnesses, including journalists, reported hearing several gunshots. According to an official statement on the Prime Minister's social media pages, Fico was "shot multiple times and is currently in a life-threatening condition."
According to local reports, the shooting was an assassination attempt. A video circulating online, credited to Russia Today's Russian language a Telegram channel, shows chaotic scenes in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
It later emerged that Fico was hit in the abdomen and left arm during the shooting. After undergoing surgery, Fico was conscious and communicating at around 16:00.
Additional information indicates that the perpetrator is 71 years old and from a village in the centre of the country, local reports suggest he was a writer who held strong views against the Roma community.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has condemned the attack. "Such acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine democracy, our most precious common good."
Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib also expressed condemnation for the attack, adding that her thoughts are with the Prime Minister and his family. She wished him a speedy recovery.
