Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was injured in a shooting after a government meeting, news agency TASR reported on Wednesday.

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16:29 A post by Robert Fico’s team on his Facebook page says he was “shot multiple times”. A witness at the scene earlier told Reuters he had heard several shots before seeing a man detained by police.

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16:10 Robert Fico is in a life-threatening condition, Slovakia’s government office has said.

He is being airlifted to Banska Bystrica Hospital, it said, as transport to the capital of Bratislava would take “too long”.

Earlier, a spokeswoman for Handlova Hospital, where Mr Fico received initial treatment for gunshot wounds, said he was conscious when arrived there.

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TASR cited parliament’s vice-chairman Lubos Blaha as saying Fico was shot and injured. A witness said he heard several shots in the chest and stomach.

The incident took place in the town of Handlova, some 150 kilometers northeast of the capital.

The Reuters witness said he saw security officials pushing someone into a car and driving off. The government office could not immediately be reached for comment.

Denník N writes that one of its reporters did not see the incident itself but heard several shots and then saw the prime minister being lifted from the ground by security guards and put into a car.

Security guards react at the scene of a shooting incident of Slovak PM Robert Fico. Photograph: Radovan Stoklasa/Reuters

Zuzana Čaputová, Slovakia’s president, has condemned the ‘brutal’ attack on the prime minister, and said she is wishing him recovery, Reuters reported.

#Fico seconds after shot, taken to the hospital. Images from #Pravda, #Slovakia pic.twitter.com/pH3TYoNS6k

— Radu Tudor (@RaduTudor1970) May 15, 2024

There is no word on motive but Fico has been controversial in Europe for his soft support for Ukraine, saying that the only way to end the war is for Ukraine to give up some of its territory. He’s also opposed to NATO membership for Ukraine.

Fico came to power last October and halted state military aid to Kyiv and opened communication channels with Russia.

A person is detained after a shooting incident after Slovak government meeting in Handlova, Slovakia CREDIT: REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

⚡️⚡️ Slovak Prime Minister Fico is wounded in an assassination attempt

Slovak media reports that several shots rang out after a meeting of the Slovak Cabinet, when Prime Minister Fico came out to the public. Now the Prime Minister of Slovakia is being taken to hospital.

There… pic.twitter.com/Scm5SfMj2E

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 15, 2024

Our journalists are working on this story and will update it as soon as more information becomes available.