Bomb Threats Part Of 'Special War' On Serbia: Minister

Bomb threats across Serbia is part of a "special war" aim to prevent the country from pursuing independent policies and to force it to take decisions under pressure, the internal affairs minister said on Tuesday.

"The claims of explosive devices are intended to cause panic and inflict damage on our country's economy but the fundamental goal of all attacks is to prevent Serbia from conducting independent policies and force it to take decisions out of fear and under pressure," Aleksandar Vulin said in a statement.

On Monday, education was suspended in Serbia's capital Belgrade following reports of bomb threats to 97 primary schools and some high schools.

"A special war is being waged against Serbia. Threats are being sent from different addresses in several European states to institutions, media houses, and companies. The attacks on our country have not been launched nor are they being waged by an individual. These are mass, organized, and very expensive hacker attacks from different hybrid warfare centers," Vulin said.

The Education Ministry confirmed that dozens of schools were evacuated in Belgrade on Monday.

Bomb threats were sent to almost 100 schools, at least one office building and communal services company in Belgrade and the airport in the southern city of Nis.

Investigations, however, concluded that all reports of bomb threats have been false alarms.

Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war on Feb. 24, many bomb threats have been reported in Serbia, with the initial ones for Belgrade to Moscow flights, as well as for airports.

Shopping malls and other public buildings have also received bomb threats over the past two months.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has claimed that the foreign intelligence services of Ukraine and an unidentified EU nation are behind the threats. -