The Serbian Ministry of Defense has strongly refuted the recent allegations made by Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, describing them as “completely baseless and flagrant lies”. Kurti had accused the Serbian Defense Minister, Miloš Vučević, and the “Novi Sad Clan” of orchestrating the attack on the Kosovo Police in the northern part of the country.
Responding swiftly to Kurti’s statements, the Serbian Ministry urged the international community to put an immediate stop to what they called the “inflammatory and hostile media campaign” led by the Prime Minister of Kosovo’s provisional government in Pristina against Serbia and its officials.
On Monday, Kurti made new accusations against Serbia regarding the September 24 attack by an armed group of Serbs on the Kosovo Police in the village of Banjska, an incident that led to the tragic death of police officer Afrim Bunjaku.
Kurti stated on Facebook, “Two decades ago in Serbia, it was the ‘Zemun Clan’ in power, and now the ‘Novi Sad Clan’ has taken its place. These were criminals during wartime and continue to engage in criminal activities during peace, both within Serbia and Kosovo. The country’s President, Aleksandar Vučić, acts like a capo-di-tutti-capi, reinforcing the idea that while crime may influence the state, in reality, the state dictates criminal actions”.
It’s worth noting that the “Novi Sad Clan” is an unfamiliar term in Serbia.
The Serbian Ministry characterized Kurti’s comments as an attempt to “eliminate any chance of reducing tensions in our southern region”.
The statement from the Ministry emphasized the commitment of the Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Armed Forces to their constitutional and legal obligations in safeguarding the security and peaceful lives of all Serbian citizens.
Kosovo has accused Serbia of trying to “annex the entire northern part of Kosovo”, an assertion that Serbia has denied. However, responsibility for the September 24 attack was claimed by Milan Radojičić, the former deputy chairman of the Serb List, the largest party representing Serbs in Kosovo and backed by Belgrade.
Both Kosovo and Serbia have initiated parallel investigations into the events in Banjska. The European Union has urged Belgrade to fully cooperate on this matter.
Kurti also noted that the “terrorist group on the run, led by Milan Radojičić, is currently hiding in Rashka. The notorious Serbian MUP (Interior Ministry) provided them with white and black Skoda Octavia vehicles with BG and NS registration plates”.
He further warned that in the four northern municipalities of Kosovo, “terror, criminality, and the culture of violence associated with the Delije paramilitaries, are coming to an end”.
