BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro-The interior minister pledged Wednesday to curb illegal possession of weapons in the Serbian capital.

Interior Minister Dragan Jocic, who is in charge of police, spoke as he appeared at the scene of the latest shootout in Belgrade, which left one man dead and one policeman seriously injured Wednesday.

Police "will make it absolutely clear to everyone that Belgrade must not be a place where people walk around with guns and shoot at citizens and police," Jocic said.

Violence still plagues parts of the Balkan republic, more than five years since the ouster of former leader Slobodan Milosevic, whose decade-long rule was marked by several wars, widely available weapons and rampant crime.

"We promise to citizens that their peace will be secured," Jocic said.

The shootout erupted Wednesday in a Belgrade suburb when an officer asked two young man to see their identification. They responded by opening fire at the officer, who was injured but fired back, killing one of the suspects.

The other suspect fled, and police were searching for him. The injured officer was hospitalized in serious condition.

January 06, 2006 11:49 AM