BREAKING: Politician killed after assassin opens fire from point blank range

Oliver Ivanovic was shot in the chest at point blank range outside his party’s headquarters in the city of Mitrovica in Kosovo. 

Mr Ivanovic, 64, died in hospital of his injuries, his lawyer said. 

He was the leader of Kosovo Serb party Freedom, Democracy, Justice. 

His lawyer said: “Unfortunately, I wish it weren’t true but doctors declared Oliver dead at 9:30 this morning.”

He was facing a retrial for alleged war crimes against Albanians in 1999. He was sentenced to jail but the verdict was overturned. 

The news has sent shockwaves across the Balkans, as well as in Brussels where Serbian government negotiators were holding talks with Kosovo Albanians after hearing the news. 

They called an end to the discussions in protest and Serbia’s Office for Kosovo declared the killing a “terrorist attack” which targeted Serbian people. 

This is a breaking story, more to follow…