A Trebinje man who was threatening to blow himself and two of his children up unless his wife comes back has been arrested.

The drama began Monday morning, around 9 a.m. local time when a man locked himself up in the house, threatening to activate two bombs, blowing himself along with two of his children up unless his wife comes back.

His wife left him and the children about 5 days ago, taking their youngest child, a baby, with her when she left the family home.

After several hours of fruitless negotiations with the negotiations team, the local law enforcement agencies and the Prosecutor’s Office, as well as members of his family, the man stepped out of the house with the two children, heading into town.

The man’s brother said he refused to talk to anyone and that he was carrying a hand grenade from which he pulled the safety pin out. He added the children are nine and 11 years old.

Trebinje Police Department told N1 that the man was finally arrested after stepping out of the house.

“He’s been arrested. He is in the Police Station. The wife was at the scene and when the man attempted to come near the wife to talk to her, there was a brief physical contact between the father in law and the suspect, which was used by the police officers,” Trebinje Police Department spokesperson said. “At that moment the bomb fell and a police officer grabbed the bomb and threw it away, but the bomb failed to activate. The suspect then attempted to escape, but he was apprehended. The children were not harmed.”  

The children were unharmed but were taken to hospital as a precaution.