A 14-year-old broke into a police station in Bosnia late Thursday and stabbed to death one officer and wounded another, police said.

The attack took place in the town of Bosanska Krupa, 300 kilometres (186 miles) northwest of the capital Sarajevo, said Ramo Isak, interior minister for the Bosniak-Croat federation, one of the two entities that make up the country.

“One officer is dead and the other is wounded,” he said.

The wounded officer was hospitalised with life-threatening injuries, police spokesman Adnan Beganovic told national broadcaster BHRT.

The attacker, born In 2009, was arrested, he said, adding that prosecutors had launched an investigation.

The motives for the attack were not immediately known.

“This is very sad. What surprised us is that it concerns a minor aged 14 who dared attack officers in a police station. It’s an alarm bell for our society,” said regional police chief Adnan Habibija.

Armin Halitovic, the mayor of the little town of 11,000 residents, said the attack had sent shockwaves, adding: “We are a peaceful and tolerant town”.

Security measures have been stepped up after the attack, police said.

In June last year, a 13-year-old injured a teacher with a firearm in a school in northeastern Bosnia. (AFP)