Unidentified Man Kills Self With Grenade In Belgrade

Belgrade, Serbia, 12 Jumadil Akhir 1437/22 Mar 2016 (MINA) – A man on Monday entered a cake shop owned by a former government minister in the center of Serbia’s capital Belgrade and set off a hand grenade, killing himself but not harming anyone else.

“An unknown man entered the cake shop and detonated a hand grenade at 12:38 pm. Emergency crews and police were deployed to the scene. No one else was injured,” said a Serbian Interior Ministry statement, Anadolu Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

The shop is owned by former Culture and Information Minister Bratislav Petkovic. He is currently president of the Museum of Science and Technology.

The ministry later released a separate statement saying that the explosion was not an act of terrorism.

“The investigation so far has found that the explosion was not a terrorist act, because before activating the explosive device the person ordered two employees and one customer to immediately leave the building. Also, on this occasion no one was injured, and there was only minor damage,” said the statement.

The ministry also said the unidentified man was roughly age 50.

According to Serbian state broadcaster RTS, the bomber entered the shop, showed the grenade to the people inside, and then ordered them out before triggering the explosive.

In the vicinity of the shop there is a bank, a school, two bakeries, a butcher, several bars, fast food restaurants, and a pharmacy. (T/P010/R07)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)