Hungarian man suspected of Budapest blast detained

A Hungarian man has been arrested on suspicion of carrying out a bomb attack in central Budapest last month in which two police officers were injured, chief prosecutor Tibor Keresztes told a news conference on Thursday.

On 25 September, an explosion caused by a homemade, shrapnel-laden device in downtown Budapest seriously injured two officers, with the intent to kill the pair. Police have said that they are regarding the attack as a case of attempted murder.

Hungarian police chief Karoly Papp had said a 23-year-old female policewoman suffered life-threatening injuries due to the blast while her 26-year-old male colleague was also seriously injured.

There is reportedly no sign that it had been carried out by a foreign militant organisation.

Keresztes said the man, a Hungarian citizen detained by anti-terrorist squads in the town of Keszthely, in western Hungary, was detained on suspicion of the attempted murder of several people and of abuse of explosives.

"The case has one suspect," Keresztes said.

According to Reuters news agency, the chief prosecutor declined to comment on the man's motive and to give any further details about him.

Keresztes said the man, who has no previous criminal record, did not make a confession.