Man blows himself up while plotting shopping centre bombing

A Bosnian man has died while he tried to prepare an explosive in front of a shopping centre Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, the interior ministry said.

A Bosnian man has died while he tried to prepare an explosive in front of a shopping centre Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, the interior ministry said.

The 34–year–old man, who was identified only as Marko K, was found dead metres away from an explosive which he had tried to prepare in front of a small shopping centre Jadran in one of Bratislava's suburbs.

The same centre, Jadran, with several restaurants, came under attack last week when about 20 young men destroyed three bars there with baseball bats. Six people were slightly injured. The police have so far found three attackers, who are facing charges for hooliganism and physical abuse.

The Slovak police said all of the attacks are part of a battle between various groups that are active in the country.

Earlier in the week, a top police official, told the state–run news agency TASR, that some of the top Albanians who are active in drug trafficking are expected to meet in Bratislava, which might cause a greater amount of crime.

Since the fall of communism here in 1989, the country has experienced an increased amount of violence and spread of organized crime. Along with other countries in the region, Slovakia often is used as a transport country for drugs and weapons.