Gunmen shoot at Serb minister

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (CNN) -- Unknown gunmen fired at Serbia's interior minister in what police have described as an assassination attempt.

No one was injured in the shooting, which took place at about 1 a.m. (0000 GMT) on Friday outside the Czech embassy near the centre of Belgrade.

Ministry officials said cars attempted to block interior minister Dusan Mihajlovic's car and gunmen opened fire.

The gunmen fled when Mihajlovic's bodyguards returned fire.

Mihajlovic is in charge of the police in Serbia, Yugoslavia's dominant republic, and is a member of the new, pro-democracy government that replaced the hard-line regime of former President Slobodan Milosevic.

Mihajlovic, who was not hurt, said five people had been arrested in the incident.

Although he could not confirm that it was an assassination attempt, he said he would not rule out the possibility.

Mihajlovic recently said his department was preparing to arrest Milosevic, who is also wanted by the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, in connection with alleged atrocities in Kosovo.

Yugoslav Interior Minister Zoran Zivkovic said the attack was a warning from supporters of Milosevic.

BK television said two cars tried to stop Mihajlovic's car in central Belgrade.

When his driver managed to avoid an obstacle, the assailants started shooting.

A police source said there were several gunmen and that arrests had been made during the night.

"The establishment of a state ruled by law is the biggest blow to those who have for years had huge illegal profits in criminal dealings which were linked to the state leadership," Zivkovic told independent Belgrade Radio B-92.

Police purge

AUDIO Assassination attempt 0.35 mb/32 sec. AIFF or WAV sound An attack on democracy 0.38 mb/34 sec. AIFF or WAV sound

"These reactions are certainly messages to us to abandon this job and allow crime and corruption to flourish in Serbia but this will certainly not happen," he said.

Last month the driver of Serbia's new state security chief was wounded when masked gunmen opened the door of the official car and fired at him. Earlier this month a leading reformist politician's car went up in flames.

"I think you can easily work out who is sending the messages," Zivkovic said.

"The worst crime is when mafia and the state leadership get together, so this is a message from the former state leadership with all the services that participated in this and your classic mobsters," he added.

The new government, officially installed last month, is Serbia's first non-communist leadership since World War II.

The new leaders gradually took over top posts after Milosevic's departure and purged police and state security of those loyal to the former strongman.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

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