Bank in Montenegro held up by man claiming to have explosives

A bank in Montenegro has been seized by a man claiming to be armed with explosives and accusing the financial organization of having stolen money from workers.

The drama is unfolding in the coastal city of Bar, in the south of the country. Police have evacuated residents of nearby houses and cordoned off the area around the NLB bank, which was reportedly seized by an armed man earlier on Tuesday.

The perpetrator, identified by the media in Montenegro as a local resident named Edin B., claimed to have planted explosive devices. He arrived at the branch early in the morning, ordered all employees out and barricaded himself inside, according to reports.

The man placed a large note, written in English, in the window of the bank branch. It read “Give back the money that you stole from employees of Primorska,” apparently in reference to a local company. In a 25-minute video manifesto posted online, he showed off his purported improvised explosive devices and said he would maintain the hostage standoff until the alleged debt was paid off with interest.

He also displayed what appeared to be an entire arsenal, including a firearm, Molotov cocktails, tear gas canisters, a gas mask and armor, and has declared his resolve to risk his life for his cause.

Screenshot from a video published by the Bar bank hostage-taker

The video, in which the man detailed why he thought NLB  was in the wrong, had apparently been recorded beforehand, as he said in it that its publication would mean he had been successful in carrying out his plan to take over the branch. He said his parents were among the workers he was trying to help with his desperate act.

The Montenegro police are reportedly negotiating with the man. Interior Minister Sergej Sekulovic told the media the situation was “complicated.”

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