PODGORICA: A suicide attacker blew himself up after throwing an explosive device into the US embassy compound in Podgorica, the Montenegrin government said on Thursday.

Authorities in Podgorica have not released any theories as to the motive for the early morning attack in Montenegro, which recently joined Nato.

“In front of the @USEm­bassyMNE building in #Podgorica, #Montenegro an unknown person committed suicide with an explosive device. Imme­diately before, that person threw an explosive device,” the government tweeted, saying the device was “most probably” a hand grenade.

A US State Department spokesperson confirmed “a small explosion near the US Embassy compound” saying officials were “working closely with police to identify the assailant(s)”.

Montenegro’s main daily paper Vijesti identified the attacker as a 43-year-old man born in neighbouring Serbia but who was living in Podgorica.

It also published a picture, apparently from his Facebook page, showing an award he won for his service in the Yugoslav army in 1999, which was signed by the late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2018