A portion of opposition parties within the Serbian Parliament has leveled accusations against the ruling party, the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, regarding an incident in northern Kosovo. In this incident, a Kosovo police officer and three suspected attackers lost their lives.

The President of the Serbian opposition party, the Movement of Serbia’s Nationalists, Miroslav Aleksić, asserted on September 26 that President Vučić and the deputy chairman of the Serb List, Milan Radojičić, should shoulder the primary responsibility for the violence in Banjska, located in Zvecan, as reported by the Beta agency.

Commenting on a video released on September 26 by Kosovo’s Minister of Internal Affairs Xhelal Sveçla, which purportedly showed Radojičić armed at the Banjska monastery, Aleksić stated that the policies of the Serb List, SNS, and Vučić’s approach to Kosovo had faced a severe setback.

“After the armed conflict in Banjska, which resulted in at least four fatalities, Vučić should step down. Radojičić could not have armed numerous Serbs in the north without Vučić’s knowledge and the approval of Serbian security services. They bear the utmost responsibility for the bloodshed in Banjska,” said Aleksić.

The Serb List is the principal party representing Serbs in Kosovo, enjoying the support of Belgrade, and Milan Radojičić is on the U.S. blacklist due to allegations of corruption and international criminal activity. His name is also connected to the assassination of Oliver Ivanović, an opposition politician in Kosovo.

To date, the Serb List and Vučić have publicly defended Radojičić, with Vučić refraining from commenting on allegations of Radojičić’s involvement in the attack on Kosovo Police in the northern region.

A member of the opposition party, the Pro-European Democratic Party, Srdjan Milivojević, called for Vučić’s resignation, asserting that, in his one-sided conflict with Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, the Serbian leader had sacrificed young Serbs in Kosovo.

Responding to Sveçla’s allegations that Radojičić led a group of 30 Serbs in the attack on the Kosovo Police in Banjska on September 24, Milivojević commented that Radojičić’s participation in this tragic event “should not come as a surprise”.

“If Radojičić indeed participated in this event, it becomes evident that the regime in Belgrade, led by Aleksandar Vučić, bears responsibility. If Radojičić or anyone else orchestrated this without approval or orders from Belgrade, they would have already been apprehended, potentially signaling the end of Vučić’s leadership,” he stated.

Bosko Obradović, leader of the right-wing opposition party Dveri, demanded that the Serbian Government disclose the names of those killed, injured, and arrested among the Serbs in Kosovo. He decried the practice of blaming the Serbs in Kosovo as “particularly scandalous”.

Meanwhile, Miloš Jovanović, leader of the right-wing New Democratic Party, contended that recent events in Kosovo underscored the imperative for the SNS Government to reconsider its “destructive policies” toward Kosovo.

“This marks the culmination, and this tragic situation serves as a reminder that fundamental changes are necessary in Serbia. The government must change, as their policies since 2008, during their 12-year tenure, have brought us to this juncture,” he emphasized.

On September 24, an armed and masked group attacked the Kosovo Police in Banjska, Zvecan, a region predominantly inhabited by Serbs, resulting in the death of police officer Afrim Bunjaku. Subsequently, the armed group sought refuge in the Banjska monastery, where they engaged in an armed standoff with the Kosovo Police.

Kosovo authorities reported that three attackers were killed, and eight individuals were arrested. Kosovo’s Minister of Internal Affairs Xhelal Sveçla accused Milan Radojičić, deputy chairman of the Serb List, the largest party representing Serbs in Kosovo, of organizing and participating in the attack.

On September 26, Sveçla released a drone-recorded video allegedly showing Radojičić armed at Banjska.

Despite these allegations, the Serb List, with Belgrade’s support, as well as Serbian institutions, have yet to respond to Kosovo’s accusations regarding Radojičić’s purported involvement.

The attack has garnered condemnation from both the United States and the European Union.