Explosion in Montenegro kills 2, seriously injures 3

PODGORICA, Montenegro -- An explosion in central Montenegro's historical capital, Cetnje, on Thursday killed two people and seriously injured three others, police said.

Police sealed off the area around the Cetinje town's sports hall. They launched an investigation to find the type and cause of the explosion.

The state RTCG television said it was a bomb, and suggested the blast was linked to the Balkan nation's criminal gangs involved in drug smuggling. The report said, “some of the victims recently got out of prison.”

Montenegro is a small Adriatic Sea nation of about 620,000 people. It is a NATO member state and a candidate for European Union membership. The country has been told it must tackle rampant organized crime and corruption to join the EU.