A large naval mine dating from the Second World War that was recently found in the city of Rijeka harbour was relocated in a complex operation, led by the Interior Ministry's special police divers, and neutralised in the sea on Sunday, Civil Protection Service reported on Sunday evening.

The mine, which had been produced by Germany, had contained 690 kilogrammes of explosive. It was towed to the location of neutralization in the Rijeka Bay.

The local authorities thanked the citizens for following the instructions and recommendations that were issued for their own safety.

Residents of a designated area of the city centre were evacuated for the duration of the operation.

The area next to the port of Rijeka was closed to all road, rail, air and sea traffic, and all commercial facilities were also closed.

The railway and bus stations were closed and relocated.

Due to the characteristics and the location where it was found, it was not possible to destroy the mine at the place of discovery, so a relocation and neutralization plan was drawn up.