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Leading Kosovo Serb politician killed in drive-by shooting, prosecutor says

Earlier, police found a burnt car without an identification number, which the killers allegedly used

BELGRADE, January 16. /TASS/. Prominent Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic, leader of the Civic Initiative SDP, was killed in a drive-by shooting, Prosecutor in Kosovska Mitrovica Shyqyri Syla said on Tuesday.

Police found a burnt car without an identification number, which the killers allegedly used.

A party member said no one had heard any sound of shooting and the wounded politician was found by a neighbor who was returning from a shop.

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Belgrade suspends dialogue with Kosovo in EU due to Serbian politician's murder

The assassination occurred when Ivanovic was entering his party’s headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica.

The politician was taken to a hospital with five gunshot wounds to his chest. The doctors tried to save his life, but to no avail.

"Police headed to the scene where they found evidence confirming that this was the killing, and it will be used during further investigation," police said in a statement.

Oliver Ivanovic, one of leaders of Kosovo Serbs, earlier served as the State Secretary of the Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija in the Serb government. In January 2016, he was sentenced to 9 years in jail for war crimes against Albanians in 1999. In February 2017, the sentence announced by the first-instance court was overturned and a new trial began. Ivanovic was under house arrest and in April 2017 he was allowed to defend himself in court at liberty.

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