TIRANA, September 24 – An official of the Kosovo Police, was killed and another was injured in the early hours of Sunday in the north of Kosovo. According to the first assessments of the security institutions, the killing of the policeman and the wounding of another in the north of Kosovo are direct intervention of Serbia in the north.
According to the 24-hour Police report released on September 23, the explosion resulted in material damage to the victim’s house.
While no injuries were reported, authorities are actively investigating the incident.
Ranillug is situated near the city of Gjilan.
Another grenade attack was documented on September 21 in North Mitrovica.
Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Xhelal Sveçla has characterized the assault in the northern region as a response to the arrest of three Serbs on suspicion of war crimes.
On September 20, three Serbs were apprehended in the northern area.
Both the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia and the Serb List, the primary Serbian party in Kosovo, have alleged that these arrests are politically motivated.
Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has stated through a post on Facebook, saying that the Police was attacked in the village of Banjska in Leposavić. He called the attack terrorist, saying that organized crime with “political, financial and logistical support from official Belgrade is attacking our country”. Kurti said that the killed policeman was a sergeant while the injured one was a member of the border police. Albin Kurti, held a press conference saying that Sunday is a difficult day for Kosovo. “His (police officer’s) murder should be turned into an even greater engagement in the fight against gangs, illegal structures, crime and terrorism, which threaten the security of citizens and the constitutional order.”
President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, has interrupted her official visit to New York after the recent developments in the north.
Osmani said that the murder in the north was “planned, orchestrated and executed by Serbian criminal gangs. “These attacks prove once again the destabilizing power of criminal gangs, organized by Serbia, which for a long time, as has been proven with the attacks on KFOR members, journalists and citizens, are aiming to destabilize Kosovo and the region”, said Kosovo President among other things.
According to the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kosovo, the crossing point between Kosovo and Serbia, Brnjak, has been closed.
Meanwhile, after this attack in the north of Kosovo, there have been many reactions from international officials strongly condemning the attack on Kosovo police.
Internationals react
American ambassador in Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, has strongly condemned the “violent and orchestrated” attacks against the Kosovo Police.”The Kosovo Police has full legitimacy to guarantee the rule of law, in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of Kosovo. We accept and respect its role as the first response to emergencies and crisis situations”, said Ambassador Hovenier. Commenting on the murder in the north, he said that the perpetrators of these crimes must be held accountable and face justice. Hovenier expressed his condolences to the family of the dead policeman, also wished a speedy recovery to the two injured.
Germany’s ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, has shared the US position on the killing of a police officer in the north and said that he is completely in line with it. “I fully associate with my US colleagues‘ statement. The perpetrators of this murderous attack against KOS law enforcement officers must be brought to justice,” wrote Jorn Rohde.
The head of the European Union for Foreign Policy and Security, Josep Borrell, has condemned this attack and demanded that the responsible authors face justice.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the hideous attack by an armed gang against Kosovo policemen in the north of Kosovo, which left one policeman dead and two wounded. All facts surrounding the attack must be proven. The responsible authors must face justice”, said Borrell.
The envoy of the European Union for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajçak, has condemned the attack on the Kosovo Police in the north and said that violence “of any form is unacceptable”. “The leaders must face justice. Everyone should return to the dialogue, immediately”, said Lajçak through a post on X – the platform previously known as Twitter.
NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR, has said that the Kosovo Police has the initial responsibility for managing the incident in the north and has strongly condemned the attack on the members of this institution.
As a result, one police officer was killed and two others were injured.
“KFOR continues to closely monitor the situation in Banjska, and KFOR troops are present in this area, ready to react, if required. The commander of KFOR is in direct contact with all international mechanisms, including the European Union, the Chief of General Staff of the Serbian army and the institutions of Kosovo, and is working to find a solution”, the statement said.
/Argumentum.al
