Suicide bomber detonates hand grenade inside Belgrade bakery
A suicide bomber has detonated a hand grenade inside a bakery in Belgrade, Serbia, the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs has confirmed. Ambulance crews and police are at the scene.
"An unknown man was killed today at around 12:38 p.m. (11:38 GMT) on Ilije Garasanina Street after he activated an explosive device in a cake shop," a police statement said.
"Interior ministry officials are probing all the facts and circumstances of the event," the statement continued.
The man reportedly entered the pastry shop, chased everyone out, and then detonated the device, RTS reports.
The suicide bomber was killed and one other person was injured, according to Serbia's Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The bomber apparently laid down on the explosive before detonation. As a result, little damage was caused to the shop.
It is a business reportedly owned by former culture minister Bratislav Petković pic.twitter.com/ZkQDoiOrjH
— Balkan Newsbeat (@BalkanNewsbeat) March 21, 2016
N1 television network has described the man as being around 50 years old. According to unconfirmed reports, he was on some sort of medication.
The Petković bakery is owned by Bratislav Petković, a former culture minister and former adviser to President Tomislav Nikolic.
Samoubistvo u centru Beograda pic.twitter.com/7bfRI8jnX5
— Rade Maroevic (@Maroevic) March 21, 2016
Petković told pink.rs that he does not yet know the full details of the explosion, but said he is almost certain the blast wasn't directed at him.
Police sealed off the street following the incident.
Although a high school is located on the same street as the bakery, the students were not under threat.
A bank, a second bakery, a butcher, fast food outlets, pharmacies, and a market are also located in the vicinity.
