Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced on Tuesday that initial information from Kosovo authorities suggests that the vast majority of individuals involved in the attack on the Kosovo Police in Banjska, Zvecan, are affiliated with either the Civil Protection organization or the Northern Brigade. Both of these groups were declared as terrorist organizations in Kosovo in June of this year.
The attack resulted in the tragic death of a Kosovo Police officer named Afrim Bunjaku, and during the confrontation, three of the assailants lost their lives as well.
Kurti stressed that the most pressing concern at the moment is Kosovo’s security and the need to hold the perpetrators of the attack on the Kosovo Police accountable.
“Punishing those responsible implies holding Serbia accountable, as it provided financial, military, logistical, political, public, and official support for what transpired in Banjska, Zvecan. However, it also entails the extradition and surrender of all individuals who are being pursued because they fled the crime scene and our country,” Kurti stated during a discussion at the Pristina Institute for Political Studies (PIPS), which centered on the progress made so far and the expectations from the Berlin Process.
He also commented on an upcoming debate scheduled in the European Parliament for Tuesday, which will address the recent developments in north Kosovo.
“I believe that the ongoing discussions, including those within European Union forums, with the European Parliament being the highest among them, should prioritize Kosovo’s security and ensuring that the attackers face consequences. At the same time, we should not entertain any ideas of maintaining the status quo, which may exist but are not, in my opinion, worth pursuing,” Kurti remarked.
The responsibility for the attacks in Banjska was claimed by Milan Radojičić, the former Deputy Chairman of the Serb List. However, his current whereabouts remain unknown.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated that he is in “central Serbia” and that local authorities there have questioned him “in his capacity as a citizen”.
Kosovo authorities have accused Serbia of involvement in the attack, while Belgrade has vehemently denied these allegations.
The attack on the Kosovo Police in Banjska has garnered strong condemnation from both the United States and the European Union, with calls for the attackers to be brought to justice.
