Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti has accused Serbian paramilitary forces of orchestrating a “paramilitary and terrorist” attack against Kosovo Police officers in the northern region of the country. He specifically implicated the “Novi Sad Clan”, which he claims is led by Serbia’s Minister of Defense Miloš Vučević.
The attack took place on September 24 in the village of Banjska in the Zvecan Municipality, resulting in the death of a Kosovo Police officer who was targeted by an armed group of Serbs.
Kurti went on to draw a historical parallel, mentioning that the “Novi Sad Clan” appears to have taken the place of the Zemun Clan that once held power in Serbia. He argued that these groups are involved in criminal activities, both during times of conflict and peace, and that their influence extends beyond Serbia’s borders into Kosovo. Additionally, Kurti criticized Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić for what he sees as the state’s complicity in such activities.
It’s worth noting that the existence of a “Novi Sad Clan” is not widely recognized by the Serbian public.
In the aftermath of the attack at the Banjska Monastery, where the assailants sought refuge, three of the attackers were killed in subsequent clashes.
Gazmend Hoxha, the General Director of the Kosovo Police, clarified that during their operation at the monastery, they found 49 civilians, 43 pilgrims, and six personnel, all of whom were unharmed and treated respectfully.
Albin Kurti also shed light on the background of the attackers, mentioning that approximately 40 Orthodox pilgrims present at the Banjska Monastery on September 24 were from Novi Sad. Whether this is a mere coincidence or a significant detail will need to be determined through ongoing investigations.
Both Kosovo and Serbia have launched separate investigations into the Banjska incident, and the European Union has called upon Belgrade to fully cooperate in these investigations.
Kosovo has accused Serbia of attempting to “annex the entire north of Kosovo”, an accusation that Serbia vehemently denies. Responsibility for the attack has been claimed by Milan Radojičić, the former deputy leader of the Serb List, the largest political party representing Serbs in Kosovo, with close ties to Belgrade.
While Kosovo Police have arrested some of the attackers, most of them managed to evade capture.
In closing, Kurti pointed out that the “terrorist group” led by Milan Radojičić is currently on the run, reportedly hiding in Raška. He further highlighted that they are using Skoda Octavia cars with white and black color schemes and registration plates reading “BG” and “NS”.
The Prime Minister warned that “in the four northern municipalities of Kosovo, terrorism, crime, and the culture of violence attributed to the Delije paramilitaries (Belgrade’s Red Star fans) are gradually coming to an end”.
Kurti concluded by proposing that the European Union and the United States consider establishing a Special Court to address the actions of the “Novi Sad Clan”, asserting that it would deal a severe blow to the Balkan mafia and pave the way for greater European democracy, legal justice, stable peace, and accelerated development in the Balkans region.
