A 1,000-pound aerial bomb used by the United States and Allied forces during World War II was safely removed from a construction site in a central district of Serbia's capital, Belgrade, on Sunday, police said.

The U.S.-made AN-M44 bomb was used during air raids on German positions during the liberation of Belgrade from Nazi occupation in 1944.

Ahead of the bomb's removal, the site, which is near a residential area and a shopping mall, underwent detailed reconnaissance "to ensure safe conditions," police said.

Residents were also told to leave their homes if possible.

After its removal, the bomb was taken to an army arms training ground about 110 miles from Belgrade, where it will be destroyed in the coming days.

Unexploded bombs dating back to past wars have been discovered in Serbia and around the world in recent years.

In September 2024, a century-old artillery shell weighing nearly 660 pounds was cleared from a construction site near the Serbian parliament in Belgrade.

Earlier that year, in April, a large bomb from the 1999 NATO bombing campaign was found in Nis, southern Serbia.

In 2021, a 530-pound World War II bomb was also removed from a construction site in a Belgrade suburb.

Earlier this year, in January, more than 170 bombs from WWII were discovered underneath a children's playground in northern England. Officials said they believe that more ordinances would be discovered in Wooler, Northumberland.

In June, three unexploded U.S. WWII bombs were defused in Cologne, Germany. They were discovered during preparatory work for road construction.

In Slovakia's capital of Bratislava, a 500-pound WWII bomb was discovered during construction work in September, sparking widespread evacuations. A few weeks later, a U.S.-made bomb was defused in Hong Kong after it was discovered at a construction site in Quarry Bay, a bustling residential and business district on the west side of Hong Kong island. The bomb was nearly five feet long.

Source