A knife-wielding teenager has killed a police officer and wounded a second one in a town in western Bosnia-Herzegovina, authorities reported on October 25, in what the Interior Ministry called "an act of terrorism."
The attack by a 14-year-old boy occurred at police station in Bosanska Krupa, a town of some 14,000 people late on October 24th, the ministry's office in the Una-Sana Canton told RFE/RL.
The wounded police officer was in stable condition in hospital, authorities said.
There had been no threats addressed to local police in Una-Sana and authorities had no prior knowledge of an imminent attack on the Bosanska Krupa police station, police and prosecutors said at a joint press conference on October 25 in the city of Bihac.
The minor, who carried out the attack at around 9 p.m. local time, was not previously known to the authorities.
“This attack on a public institution was an act of terrorism meant to frighten the public," Merima Mesanovic, the chief prosecutor of Una-Sana told the news conference.
Authorities neither confirmed nor denied local media reports alleging the suspect, whose identity was not revealed because of his age, is a religious extremist. They gave no further information because the investigation is still ongoing.
Mesanovic said the suspect's home had been searched and some items had been taken in connection with the probe. His motive remains unknown.
Mesanovic added that the penalty for murder ranges from at least 10 years in prison up to life imprisonment but, as the suspect is a minor, he may only be sent to reformatory for a five-year period, if he is convicted.
Cantonal police chief Amel Kozlica said the security level in the city and its surroundings has been raised, with armed police patrolling the streets.
The attack left people in the small town in a state of shock.
"We really don't understand what his reason was. It's terrible what's happening among children, social networks probably had an influence, TikTok in particular," local resident Amra Kajtezovic told RFE/RL, describing the whole event as "terrible for such a small place where everyone knows each other."
There have been prior attacks on police in Bosnia.
In June 2010, in Bugojno, in the central part of the country, one officer was killed, and six were wounded in an attack on a police station.
In April 2015, in Zvornik, in eastern Bosnia, an attacker killed one police officer and wounded two before being shot dead in turn.