BELGRADE, August 15. /TASS/. During mass riots in several cities in Serbia last night, 75 police officers were injured and 114 protesters were detained, Interior Minister Ivica Dacic has said.

"Last night, mass and brutal attacks on the police took place in a number of cities in the country without any reason. As a result of these actions, 75 police officers were injured, another 27 were injured the day before yesterday, and 19 the day before. Not a single police operation in Serbia has begun before the police were attacked," Dacic emphasized, specifying that a total of 114 protesters were detained.

The minister called the events "a brutal attack not only on the police, but also on the state," noting that a number of opposition media outlets only show the actions of the police, omitting the attacks that preceded them. "The actions of the police were legal and aimed at maintaining order. Even if someone holds an iron rod or stick in their hands, they call it a mop handle. But if a policeman is hit with this 'handle', who has the right to do this? Where in the world is this possible? When 75 police officers get hurt, it is not exactly what one calls police brutality. Who injured them then? These are the hard facts," he said, emphasizing that more than 2,000 Interior Ministry employees were on duty on the night of the riots. The minister said that among those detained there were three foreign citizens - a Croatian citizen, a Slovenian citizen of Serbian origin, and an Italian citizen working in Serbia. "This once again confirms that there is a foreign factor involved," he concluded. On August 14, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on TV Informer that the authorities intend to toughen their approach to curbing street violence. "We are expecting major reforms in the police, the judiciary and the prosecutor's office, and the state must do its job now," he emphasized.

According to Dacic, the incident is one of the most brutal attacks on the police in recent years, with the attackers using stones, steel rods, sticks and pyrotechnics.

On August 14, attacks were carried out on the offices of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party and the Socialist Party in several cities, injuring 27 police officers and more than 80 civilians. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 5 police vehicles and 22 pieces of equipment were damaged; 47 people were detained.