Weekly owner killed in Zagreb blast

A car bomb exploded this afternoon in the courtyard of the Nacional weekly in central Zagreb, Croatia, killing two persons. Beta news agency quotes Croatia's state television HRT to report that Ivo Pukanic, the co-owner of Nacional, and chief of marketing Niko Franic, were killed in the explosion. Weekly owner killed in Zagreb blast At the moment of the blast, the building was full of students of the College of Journalism, it was reported. Windows in surrounding buildings were shattered. Nacional's Plamenko Cvitic confirmed the deaths and told HRT that the cause of the explosion of the car, owned by Pukanic, was most likely a planted explosive device. The report about the explosion was carried by almost every electronic and print medium in Croatia, but nobody has yet put forward any speculation about who was behind the bomb attack. HRT reported that the police presume that the bomb was activated by a remote device. Pukanic, 47, was one of the most controversial journalists in Croatia. Competition in the media have accused him for years of having ties with the underworld, and at the beginning of this year he was involved in a scandal concerning his wife, who accused him of committing her to a psychiatric institution for no reason, with the help of his connections. In early April 2008, he reported an attempted assassination to the police, but because of the controversial facts he presented regarding the case, the majority of the media have concluded that he had orchestrated the attack himself, for unknown reasons. The attacker was never found.

Weekly owner killed in Zagreb blast

At the moment of the blast, the building was full of students of the College of Journalism, it was reported. Windows in surrounding buildings were shattered.

Nacional's Plamenko Cvitić confirmed the deaths and told HRT that the cause of the explosion of the car, owned by Pukanić, was most likely a planted explosive device.

The report about the explosion was carried by almost every electronic and print medium in Croatia, but nobody has yet put forward any speculation about who was behind the bomb attack. HRT reported that the police presume that the bomb was activated by a remote device.

Pukanić, 47, was one of the most controversial journalists in Croatia. Competition in the media have accused him for years of having ties with the underworld, and at the beginning of this year he was involved in a scandal concerning his wife, who accused him of committing her to a psychiatric institution for no reason, with the help of his connections.

In early April 2008, he reported an attempted assassination to the police, but because of the controversial facts he presented regarding the case, the majority of the media have concluded that he had orchestrated the attack himself, for unknown reasons. The attacker was never found.