Vucevic: Red security alert to remain in force for a few more days

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Milos Vucevic said on Tuesday a red security alert declared in the wake of Saturday's terrorist attack outside the Israeli embassy in Belgrade would remain in force for a few more days and that Serbian security agencies were working on uncovering cells of religious extremists.

Speaking to Blic TV, Vucevic said that, in coordination with the relevant prosecutor's office, the police and the Security Information Agency were conducting a nationwide operation aimed at dismantling all extremist cells.

"They are conducting further an operation to dismantle the cells of extremist religious organisations that are misusing religion for the purpose of achieving certain extremist political and terrorist goals. Those activities are underway across the territory of the Republic of Serbia except Kosovo-Metohija," Vucevic said.

"It is very important to say the activities are not aimed against any ethnic or religious group," he noted.

He said he had no information about any omission by the state authorities regarding the perpetrator of the attack, 25-year-old Milos Zujovic, an Islamic convert from Mladenovac near Belgrade who had moved to Novi Pazar, southwestern Serbia.

"I cannot say there was any indication he would carry out the attack and that someone approached that lightly or let it happen through inaction," Vucevic said.