Kosovo has called on Serbia to hand over ethnic Serb gunmen who escaped after a shootout with Kosovar police in the restive north of the country. This incident has further escalated tensions between Pristina and Belgrade. The gunmen attacked the village of Banjska on Sunday, barricading themselves into a Serbian Orthodox monastery. After a battle with the police, the monastery was retaken, resulting in the deaths of three attackers and one police officer. The United States has condemned the attacks and urged both Kosovo and Serbia to defuse the long-standing antagonism between them.
Following the incident, armed police conducted searches in Banjska to locate any remaining gunmen. The village has been sealed off to journalists. Kosovar authorities later announced that some of the gunmen had likely escaped to nearby Serbia. Six wounded members of the armed group were reportedly hospitalized in the southern Serbian city of Novi Pazar, near Kosovo’s northern border. Kosovo’s Interior Minister, Xhelal Svecla, demanded that Serbia hand over these men to face justice for their terrorist acts.
Serbian government officials have not yet responded to requests for comment from RushHourDaily. In the town of Mitrovica, Kosovar police displayed the vehicles and weapons used by the gunmen. Among the seized items were former Yugoslav army assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, mortars, anti-tank rocket launchers, hand grenades, land mines, and drones.
The article highlights the ongoing stand-off between ethnic Albanians, who make up the majority of Kosovo’s population, and the 50,000 Serbs in the north who reject Kosovo’s statehood and consider Belgrade as their capital. This tension has persisted for 15 years since Kosovo declared independence. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence. Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, accused Serbia of orchestrating the attack and inciting violence. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic denies these allegations and accuses Kurti of blocking the creation of an association of Serb municipalities and launching frequent police raids in the north.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called on both governments to refrain from actions or rhetoric that could further inflame tensions. Russia, Serbia’s traditional ally, is closely monitoring the situation in Kosovo. Vucic had talks with the Russian Ambassador in Belgrade and accused Kurti of conducting ethnic cleansing with the help of the international community.
In conclusion, Kosovo’s call for Serbia to hand over the escaped gunmen has intensified tensions between the two countries. The incident highlights the ongoing stand-off between ethnic Albanians and Serbs in Kosovo’s north. The United States has urged both sides to defuse the situation, while Russia is closely monitoring the developments.
