Slovakia Prime Minister Robert Fico shot several times

In Handlova, Slovakia, Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot multiple times in what officials describe as a politically motivated attack.

Defence Minister Robert Kalinak initially reported Mr. Fico's critical condition, but Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba later confirmed a successful surgery, stating Mr Fico is no longer in a life-threatening state, reports BBC.

A suspect was detained at the scene. Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estoka labelled the incident a politically motivated assassination attempt. Mr. Fico sustained serious injuries, including gunshot wounds to his stomach and a joint. Despite the severity of the attack, there's cautious optimism about his recovery.

Unconfirmed local media reports say the alleged suspect is a 71-year-old writer and political activist.

A video is being circulated on Slovak media claims to show the suspect making political statements, but this has not been verified by the authorities.

In the footage, the man says he disagrees with government policy and its stance towards state media, reports BBC.