ZAGREB, CROATIA: The leader of the Serbian civil initiative in Kosovo, “Serbia, Democracy, Justice” (SDP), Oliver Ivanovic, was assassinated in Kosovska Mitrovica on Tuesday morning, Croatian News Agency (Hina) reported, quoting Belgrade media, told Bernama.

According to Ivanovic’s lawyer, he was shot outside the party’s office at about 8.15am and was urgently taken to a hospital in north Kosovska Mitrovica where he died as a result of the injuries.

His associate Ksenija Bozovic said the police had found three cartridges outside the offices. Media in the Kosovo capital Pristina said that the police had confirmed that Ivanovic was shot dead and that no further details were available for now.

The north of Kosovska Mitrovica, predominantly populated by Serbs, has been sealed off by the police, and Kosovo media say that four bullets were fired at Ivanovic.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has called an emergency meeting of the National Security Council for noon, while Serbia has suspended talks with Kosovo which were to resume in Brussels Tuesday after a break of several months, Blic newspaper said on its website.

Ivanovic was one of the leaders of Serbs in Kosovo and a former member of the Kosovo parliament. He was regarded as a moderate politician. He was married and was the father of three sons.