Dhimitraq Ziu, head of the Public Security Department, said specialised cybercrime and counterterrorism units had launched an investigation and were working with international partners to trace IP addresses and identify those behind the accounts.

Police were also investigating alleged attempts to exploit nationalist sentiment, spread false information and undermine public trust in the force, Ziu said.

He urged protesters to distance themselves from masked and violent individuals, stressing that the right to demonstrate did not justify violence or the destruction of public and private property.

“Responsibility is individual, and you will face the full force of the law,” he said, adding that police officers had been instructed to exercise restraint and act proportionately even when facing attacks.

Ziu described the State Police as a partner of citizens rather than their enemy, and called on demonstrators to reject groups seeking to exploit protests to create chaos and instability.

He also appealed to parents to protect young people from online manipulation and calls to engage in violence, warning that the legal consequences could seriously harm their future.

Police would continue to fulfil their duties despite what Ziu described as unprecedented attacks in recent days, he added.

/m.q/j.p/u.sh/