A wanted fugitive is suspected of fatally shooting a police officer and injuring another during a police operation in the remote village of Podenë, part of the Municipality of Maliq, authorities said Thursday.

According to preliminary information, officers from the Korçë Police Directorate launched an operation after receiving intelligence that the suspect had been hiding in the area. As police moved in to carry out the arrest, the suspect allegedly opened fire, killing a member of the elite “Shqiponja” police unit and wounding another officer.

Sources identified the suspected gunman as Violand Braçellari, a former military serviceman who had reportedly been wanted by authorities for several years and was subject to a court ruling related to narcotics offenses.

Investigators believe Braçellari had been living in isolation in the forests surrounding Podenë, where he allegedly built a large shelter and kept several dogs. Police reportedly received information a day earlier indicating that he was hiding in the mountainous area.

Authorities described the suspect as highly dangerous and experienced with firearms. Initial reports indicate that between seven and eight officers took part in the operation, some of them dressed in plain clothes. The confrontation is believed to have occurred between 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. local time, after the suspect allegedly detected the approaching officers and opened fire.

Following the exchange of gunfire, police are believed to have wounded and neutralized the suspect. The area has since been secured by a large police presence, while senior officials from the Korçë Police Directorate have traveled to the scene to oversee the investigation.

The injured officer is expected to be transported by helicopter to Tirana for specialized medical treatment.

Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the operation, including how the suspect’s location was discovered and the precise sequence of events that led to the deadly confrontation.

Podenë is a remote and sparsely populated mountainous area, where difficult terrain can complicate law enforcement operations and emergency response efforts.

Authorities have not yet released an official detailed account of the incident, and the investigation remains ongoing.