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(Updated May 7, 2025) — A TNT device reduced a Mercedes-Benz to wreckage on a central street of Gjirokastra on Tuesday evening, killing the man behind the wheel and wounding his passenger. Albanian police have opened a homicide investigation and are working from the premise that the explosion was an assassination attempt, possibly aimed at the passenger rather than the driver.
Beqir Devolli, the driver, was injured critically when the explosive charge went off as the car moved through the city. Emergency responders pulled him from the mangled vehicle and raced him toward the Trauma Hospital in Tirana, Albania's principal center for severe accident and blast injuries. The hospital lies roughly 280 kilometers north of Gjirokastra, a journey of several hours on winding mountain roads. Devolli died in the ambulance before it could reach the capital, according to officials with direct knowledge of the transfer.
The passenger, Rigers Mela, was also caught in the blast but fared better. Medical staff who treated him described his injuries as serious but stable. As of Wednesday morning, Mela remained under hospital care in the Gjirokastra region, and police said his condition was not life-threatening.
Despite the destruction, officials have not yet said how the bomb was planted or detonated. The area where the explosion occurred, a mixed residential-and-commercial block near the city's historic core, was sealed off through the night. Forensic teams combed the site into Wednesday, removing debris and examining the vehicle's remains for clues about the device's construction and origin.
A key to the case may lie months in the past. Police records show that a vehicle used by or connected to Mela was burned in an incident earlier in 2025. At the time, the fire was investigated and closed without public explanation. The bombing has prompted detectives to reopen that file. Investigators are now studying whether the arson was an earlier strike in the same conflict or a warning that preceded a more lethal attempt.
The working theory, according to police statements, is that Mela was the intended target of Tuesday's attack. Why he would be singled out has not been revealed, and police have not identified any suspects. No individual or organization has claimed responsibility. The old arson, however, gives investigators a concrete timeline and a possible motive pattern to pursue.
Gjirokastra is an unusual backdrop for this kind of violence. A UNESCO World Heritage city built around a steep hill and crowned by a medieval castle, it is better known to travelers for its slate-roofed houses and stone alleys than for crime scenes. The bombing unsettled a community unaccustomed to high-intensity criminal violence; several blocks away, residents felt windows shake as the blast echoed through the valley.
The attack fits a broader pattern that has troubled Albania for more than a decade. Car bombings, arson attacks, and shootings tied to organized crime have flared across the country, especially along the Adriatic coast and in regions near the Greek border. Gjirokastra sits close to that border and has historically been a corridor for illicit trade. Analysts who track crime in the Western Balkans have noted that explosives have become a favored instrument for certain networks, replacing or complementing firearms in what they describe as escalation tactics.
TNT, the explosive identified at the Gjirokastra scene, is a civil blasting agent widely available through legitimate mining and construction channels in the Balkans. Its appearance in criminal operations usually signals access to commercial supply networks or technical know-how. Whether the material was stolen, diverted, or illegally purchased has not been established. Arms-control researchers have documented repeated seizures of TNT across Albania in cooperation with Italian and Greek police.
The violence also puts a spotlight on Albania's security institutions, which have undergone reforms as part of the country's bid to join the European Union. Brussels has recognized progress in policing but has repeatedly called for stronger results against organized crime. The Gjirokastra bombing will likely intensify pressure on prosecutors to be seen to crack the case efficiently.
For the public, the most disturbing part of the attack may be the logic of the targeting. If Mela was the intended victim, the device was placed in a moving vehicle in a populated area at evening time — circumstances that multiply the risk of bystander casualties. That choice, irrespective of its outcome, is a clear signal, security experts say. It tells adversaries and witnesses alike that hit teams are prepared to use maximum force regardless of surrounding civilians.
The relationship between Devolli and Mela is another line of inquiry. Whether the two were colleagues, friends, or merely sharing a ride was not immediately clarified. Establishing that link will help investigators determine how the attacker knew the vehicle's movements and whether the driver was a chosen victim or simply present when the device was activated.
Prosecutors in Gjirokastra have formally opened the case. The charges are expected to include intentional homicide and attempted intentional homicide, with the possibility of upgraded terrorism-related terms if evidence points to a broader criminal design. Defense attorneys and legal scholars in Albania have frequently criticized the slow pace of trials in similar cases, citing backlogs and intimidation of witnesses. Whether this case breaks that mold will depend on how quickly forensic evidence is processed and how willing witnesses are to cooperate.
As of Wednesday, no arrests had been announced. Police have appealed to local residents and drivers for dashcam or security-camera footage from the evening of the attack. They have also renewed efforts to trace the 2025 arson, speaking to people who knew Mela at the time and to business associates in the city.
The street where the explosion happened will reopen gradually, officials stated; the road has to be treated first as a crime scene, then as a public utility. Repair crews will need to lay new asphalt where the blast scorched the pavement. The more difficult repair, social and psychological, will take longer. A quiet town in the Albanian south has been forced to confront a hard question: what exactly has been set in motion, and who will be the next target?
