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A shoot-out occurred in front of the Sofia Courthouse on January 29 between bodyguards protecting Zlatko Ivanov and a gunman who had set an ambush for the former special forces soldier. Ivanov, who is nicknamed „The Beret“ and who police suspect may be a drug lord, survived the assassination attempt.
Bulgarian daily Standart is upset by the „spectacular and brazen“ nature of the attempt. The shooting occurred on the day the justice and interior ministers, together with the attorney general, visited Brussels to discuss Bulgaria’s progress in its fight against organised crime. Many see this as a show of force or even as a warning on the part of the mafia.