Bus Driver Killed In Banja Luka Bomb Attack

Police in Banja Luka were on the hunt Thursday for Zeljko Stevanovic, 50, who is suspected of throwing a hand grenade into a city bus on Thursday morning, killing the driver.

Bozo Popic, 55, died from injuries received in the bomb attack on the public bus he was driving.

Initial media reports said that a male dressed in black threw the explosive device at Popic when he stopped the vehicle to pick up passengers.

The bombing took place in the Lazarevo area in Banja Luka. Two other persons were injured in the attack.

Police said they had surrounded the suspect's house, also in the Lazarevo area, noting that he and Topic appeared to have been in conflict for years.

Gojko Vasic, director of Police in Republika Srpska, Bosnia's mainly Serbian entity, said that while the bomb attack was a frightening crime, it could not be described as a terrorist, as the term was normally understood.

The General Manager of the transport company Autoprevoz, Dejan Mijic, said the whole company was in shock about the death of Popic who was a respected employee.

One of the bus passengers told media in Banja Luka that a man approached the bus as it stopped at a station and threw the bomb inside.

“It all happened very quickly, I heard a dull blast and then screams,” the passenger said.