Slovakia’s prime minister in life-threatening condition after shooting

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has been shot in what officials are calling an assassination attempt

On Wednesday evening, the Slovak defence minister said Fico had been in surgery for three-and-a-half hours and was “fighting for his life”

Fico was reportedly hit in the stomach, arm and leg – the interior minister says he was shot five times.

The alleged assailant has been detained by the police – the ministers tell reporters it was a politically-motivated attack

Fico was wounded as he left a government meeting in the central town of Handlova.

Minister of Interior, Matus Sutaj Estok says the prime minister was shot in the stomach.

Estok adds that the assassination attempt was politically motivated and the decision was “born right after the presidential election”.