Over 4,000 unexploded bombs found at Bitola's old barracks; retired MIA officers assisting
DPR says about 1,700 more devices were removed; three retired MIA officers now assist the lone local pyrotechnician.
More than 4,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance have been discovered on the grounds of the old military barracks in Bitola, officials said, after crews unearthed another large cache during a new excavation phase. The recent finds add to earlier recoveries from the same parcel and have prompted an extended clearance operation.
Scope of the discovery and risk to nearby homes
The Directorate for Protection and Rescue (DPR) reported that teams removed roughly 1,700 additional hand grenades along with tromblon-type mines dating back to World War I on the same site where 1,443 items were found in May 2026, bringing the total to more than 4,000 explosive devices.
Director Stojanche Angelov said at a press conference in Bitola that the operation has removed a major danger to houses located about 200 metres in a straight line from the contaminated parcel. Excavations are continuing and authorities expect to find more than 1,000 additional bombs and other types of unexploded ordnance.
Unlike the spring operation when the lone local pyrotechnician, Gjorgji Stefanov, pulled devices out of the ground himself, the current work includes support from three retired Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) officers. Two of them are former members of the special unit known as the "Tigers" and the third is a retired member of the MIA's Anti-Terrorism Section; all three are engaged under service contracts.
Angelov warned that only two professional, full-time pyrotechnicians remain employed in the country and that they must cover the entire territory depending on the calls they receive. He added that the DPR is trying to resolve the staffing gap.
On the staffing issue Angelov said: "At the moment there is a procedure under way to hire another pyrotechnician who has all the necessary certificates and appropriate experience. I expect them to be hired before New Year, we are also considering finding new personnel, I am working on that process. But the fact is that nowhere can we find a ready product, i.e. trained pyrotechnicians, so we need to take on young people who will then complete training which at minimum is three-tiered and requires more than one and a half years."
He appealed to citizens to call the emergency number 112 if they encounter objects that look like bombs, grenades or any kind of projectile so experts can remove the threat. Angelov also cautioned: "I note that although they appear old and rusty, these bombs are extremely lethal; they can be activated by a shock against earth or concrete, and especially if exposed to fire."
Photo: SDK.MK)
