Ibrahim Rugova, the new president of Kosovo was not injured during an assassination attempt today in the capital city of Pristina. A garbage bin exploded near his car as he drove past but did not injure the president.
Rugova was on his way to a meeting with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana when the attempt was made. The blast took place at approximately 8:20 AM local time.
'Thank God I survived again,' Rugova told reporters after attending his scheduled meeting. 'Unfortunately there are still elements which want to destabilize Kosovo.' Rugova had been the target of another assassination attempt last year when a hand grenade was thrown at his residence. Again, Rugova was not hurt.
One eyewitness at the scene said he believed the explosion was detonated by a remote control device although that had yet to confirmed by authorities.
The blast was powerful. It damaged Rugova's black Mercedes according to a report published by Reuters and also shattered the windows of nearby shops.
