Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot and wounded on Wednesday in Handlova, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) from the capital, the BBC reports.

Fico was shot in the chest and abdomen and is being airlifted to a hospital. A post on Fico's official Facebook page said the prime minister "is currently in mortal danger," adding that he had been "shot several times."

The attack occurred outside the local House of Culture, where the prime minister was meeting with supporters after the politician had emerged to greet people. Police have cordoned off the area.

Several journalists at the scene reported hearing multiple gunshots. Local media are reporting that the incident was an assassination attempt.

After he was shot, Fico was rushed into a government vehicle by security guards. Three ministers were evacuated from the scene.

🇸🇰 ‼️ Footage of the first seconds after the shooting in Slovakia, Prime Minister Roberto Fico is put into a car and urgently taken away from the scene of the shooting. https://t.co/qzHoHdSorx pic.twitter.com/KwyOxeOnwz

— Yuri Piatetsky (@pyatetskiy) May 15, 2024

The gunman has been arrested by police, as seen in the image below.

Image of the gunman after being arrested by authorities© Reuters  

The deputy speaker of parliament, Lubos Blaha, was speaking in a parliamentary session when the attack occurred. Parliament has suspended its work until further notice.

Reaction to the incident has begun to emerge. The country's president, Zuzana Čaputová, has condemned the "brutal" attack on the prime minister, Reuters reports.

Slovakia's Prosecutor General Maroš Žilinka has also condemned the attack, calling it unacceptable. "It is a manifestation of hatred," Žilinka said, adding that the gunman should be punished uncompromisingly and justly.

[Updated at 3:19 p.m.]

See also: Slovak police open investigation after more than a thousand bomb threats (Portuguese version)