Serbian Army Chief of the General Staff Milan Mojsilovi\u0107 has rejected accusations by Kosovo authorities that Serbia\u2019s attack on Banjska was aimed at annexing north Kosovo.<\/p>\n
In a press conference in Belgrade, Mojsilovi\u0107 stated, \u201cThe Serbian Army is a serious and strong organization that does not tolerate falsehoods\u201d.<\/p>\n
He emphasized, \u201cI reject all the accusations made by Pristina\u201d.<\/p>\n
Kosovo\u2019s Interior Minister Xhelal Sve\u00e7la claimed on Sunday that Serbia had planned to annex north Kosovo through the Banjska attack.<\/p>\n
On September 24, an armed group attacked Kosovo Police in Banjska, resulting in the death of police officer Afrim Bunjaku. In the subsequent exchange of fire, three Serbian attackers were killed.<\/p>\n
Sve\u00e7la stated that Kosovo has evidence indicating that these armed groups were prepared and trained at a military training base near Jagodina in Serbia and at Kopaonik.<\/p>\n
Photographs and videos, which Kosovo Police claim were recorded by drones and seized by the armed group in Banjska, were also published.<\/p>\n
Serbia denies involvement in the attack, which Kosovar authorities have labeled a terrorist act. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by Milan Radoji\u010di\u0107, who was the vice president of the Serb List, the largest Serbian party in Kosovo.<\/p>\n
Mojsilovi\u0107 refuted claims that Radoji\u010di\u0107 had taken part in training at \u201cPasuljanske livade\u201d, near Jagodina in central Serbia.<\/p>\n
\u201cMilan Radoji\u010di\u0107 did not participate in training at \u2018Pasuljanske livade\u2019, did not fire a single bullet, did not throw a single grenade,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn some cases, he was invited to training but did not respond. And what Radoji\u010di\u0107 does on his private property is not a matter for the Serbian Army,\u201d Mojsilovi\u0107 added.<\/p>\n
He explained that since 2021, \u201cpersons from Kosovo and Metohija\u201d had been invited to regular training for Serbian Armed Forces reservists.<\/p>\n
However, he noted that only about 19 percent of reservists from Kosovo responded to the military training calls.<\/p>\n
\u201cTraining at \u2018Pasuljanske livade\u2019 involved various units of reservists from different parts of Serbia, and there were also people from \u2018Kosovo and Metohija\u2019,\u201d the Serbian Army general added.<\/p>\n
Mojsilovi\u0107 clarified that the training of reserve army forces, which includes all citizens between the ages of 18 and 60, is \u201cplanned and organized\u201d and carried out in accordance with the law.<\/p>\n
He stated that since 2019, people over 30 who have not served in the military have been invited to training, as Serbia abolished compulsory military service in 2011.<\/p>\n
According to Mojsilovi\u0107, it is the \u201cright and obligation\u201d of citizens to respond to military training calls.<\/p>\n
Despite Kosovo\u2019s independence since 2008, Serbia still considers Kosovo as its territory.<\/p>\n
Mojsilovi\u0107 dismissed concerns about Serbia\u2019s increased military presence and armament near the Kosovo border as \u201cunnecessary\u201d.<\/p>\n
He explained, \u201cI want to inform you that there has been no full combat readiness of the Serbian Armed Forces, only an increased presence and engagement of units\u201d.<\/p>\n
After the \u201csecurity crisis\u201d on September 24, the Serbian Army increased its presence in the \u201cground safety zone and the perimeter around the administrative line\u201d, where there were \u201c8,350 army members\u201d on September 25.<\/p>\n
Today, Mojsilovi\u0107 stated, there are \u201cmore than twice as few soldiers\u201d in that area.<\/p>\n
Serbian Defense Minister Milosh Vu\u010devi\u0107, who was also present at the media conference, stated that there is an \u201congoing campaign\u201d against the Serbian Armed Forces regarding their \u201cnumbers and activities, particularly the movement and deployment of units on Serbian territory\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said these accusations are \u201cinappropriate, irresponsible, and entirely untrue\u201d.<\/p>\n
The United States called on Serbia to withdraw its troops from the Kosovo border on September 29, describing this move as \u201chighly destabilizing\u201d.<\/p>\n
The EU made the same call to Serbia a day later through EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.<\/p>\n
Vu\u010devi\u0107 also emphasized that the cooperation between the Serbian Armed Forces and the NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR, is \u201cgood and continuous\u201d and in line with the Kumanovo Agreement and UN Resolution 1244.<\/p>\n
He stated that Serbia has never severed communication with KFOR and has never entered Kosovo with its army.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the Serbian Army receives such an order from the President as the Commander-in-Chief \u2013 that its units enter the territory of Kosovo as part of Serbia \u2013 the army will carry out that task efficiently, professionally, and successfully. Even then, the units and commands of KFOR would be notified in advance,\u201d Vu\u010devi\u0107 said.<\/p>\n
Vu\u010devi\u0107 concluded that Serbia believes it is important for KFOR to have a significant role in Kosovo, especially in areas where Serbs live, and that Serbia supports the deployment of additional KFOR units in Kosovo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Serbian Army Chief of the General Staff Milan Mojsilovi\u0107 has rejected accusations by Kosovo authorities that Serbia\u2019s attack on Banjska was aimed at annexing north Kosovo. In a press conference in Belgrade, Mojsilovi\u0107 stated, \u201cThe Serbian Army is a serious and strong organization that does not tolerate falsehoods\u201d. He emphasized, \u201cI reject all the accusations […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":60872,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[250],"tags":[766,4419,300,150,243,151,2203,301,2741],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n