Doctors operate injured passanger in car blast | Photo by : LSA

The powerful blast blew apart a white Mitsubishi SUV on the city ring road at 7.15am, killing the driver and injuring a passenger and a bystander.

The inured passenger, a 19-year-old woman, was transferred to Tirana’s Mother Teresa University hospital, where she underwent an emergency operation.

Police suspect that the car was blown up using a remote detonation device.

Last winter, Albania was hit by a string of similar remotely detonated car bombs, targeting businessman or people with a criminal backgrounds.

On January 31, police broke up a gang suspected of undertaking assassinations for hire. The suspects included 31-year-old Julian Sinanaj, seen as the main hitman of the gang.

Sinanaj is suspected of having carried out four bomb atttacks and two murders.

According to police, he was behind an explosion in the home of Democratic Party MP Ardian Kollozi in Vlora on June 1, 2013.

Police also believe that Sinanaj planted an explosive device found on the car of the prefect of Vlora, Besnik Dervishaj, on December 13, while entering the government office in Tirana.