On July 2, 2024, there was another false bomb alert, which was reported by police officials operating at Prishtina International Airport “Adem Jashari.” “The situation is not serious; they are still inspecting the area,” said Shpend Maliqi, head of the Kosovo Police at Prishtina International Airport (PIA).

Several news portals distributed articles to inform the public that the bomb alert was false, including Zëri.info, Koha.net, Betimi për Drejtësi.

Photo: Zëri.ai

That the bomb alert at Prishtina International Airport was false, was confirmed also by the airport’s Media Office.

“We inform you that following the bomb threat, all operational and investigative actions were taken by the competent authorities of the Republic of Kosovo. This has resulted in the bomb threat being a false alarm. Prishtina International Airport ‘Adem Jashari’ is open for flights, and all flights will proceed as usual,” the statement reads.

In the event of bomb threats, which were also present in 2022 and 2023, the airport has an emergency plan that activates all relevant security authorities, including the Kosovo Police (KP), the Kosovo Security Force (KSF), and KFOR.

After receiving information about the supposed bomb placement, the Police conducted detailed checks around the area but found nothing suspicious, according to Agron Borovci, spokesperson for the Police in the Prishtina region.

This is not the first time that Prishtina International Airport and other public institutions have experienced false bomb alerts. Over the past two years, Kosovo has been targeted by cyberattacks and false bomb threats.

These incidents increased notably after the start of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, with schools and airports being primary targets. According to research conducted by Sbunker, the Kosovo Police reported that in 2022 alone, there were a total of 48 bomb threat cases recorded through computer systems in Kosovo, while in 2023, 9 cases were identified. However, authorities have never revealed whether they have found the perpetrators of these attacks or their origins.

These false alarms aim to destabilize the country and create panic among the population.

*This article is published as part of the Western Balkans Regional Initiative against disinformation. “Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub: exposing malign influences through watchdog journalism.”