Kosovo Police Engage in Deadly Shootout with Armed Attackers in Banjska Village

CNN
┬áÔÇö┬á

Kosovo police said Sunday that they have killed three armed attackers and arrested another amid an ongoing shootout in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo. The situation escalated just hours after an ambush incident resulted in the death of one police officer and the injury of another. The village, particularly near a monastery, is the primary area of the shootout.

Earlier, the police claimed to have killed one attacker in self-defense and apprehended four suspects found in illegal possession of radios. These suspects were believed to be associated with criminal groups. Subsequently, two other armed attackers, wearing masks and uniforms, were killed in the exchange of fire, and another armed attacker in uniform was captured.

According to a statement on Facebook by the Kosovo police, the security situation in the Banjska village area remains tense as firearms attacks against the police units continue unabated. The authorities discovered logistical equipment, suspected military vehicles, military uniforms, as well as weapons and ammunition of different calibers at a residential location used by the attackers.

Urging criminal groups to surrender to the justice authorities, the Kosovo Police also called on citizens to cooperate with law enforcement agencies to restore calm and ensure general security.

The latest incident in Banjska village marks a serious escalation in a region already prone to unrest. The majority Albanian Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Serbia considers Kosovo a breakaway state. The Serb population in Kosovo views themselves as part of Serbia, with Belgrade as their capital instead of Pristina.

The deputy commander of the Kosovo Police for the North region, Veton Eljsani, made a statement saying, “We see armed, uniformed people, heavy weapons, they are shooting at us, we are shooting,” according to CNN affiliate N1.

The events unfolded when a border police unit noticed two heavy trucks without license plates blocking the entrance to a bridge in Banjska. In response, the police units were deployed to the area where they faced resistance and exchanged fire, resulting in one officer’s death and another officer’s injury.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti referred to the shooting in Banjska village as a “terror attack” carried out by what he described as “Serbian criminal gangs” in a Facebook post on Sunday morning.

CNN has reached out to Serbia’s Foreign Ministry for their response to the incident, but no comment has been received yet.

EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell issued a statement condemning the attack, calling for a de-escalation of the situation, and demanding that the responsible perpetrators face justice. He also emphasized the immediate need to stop the ongoing hostilities that put innocent lives at risk in the vicinity of the Banjska Monastery. The EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX, is working closely with the authorities and KFOR, the NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo, to resolve the situation and maintain peace.

legal-document-to-plain-english-translator/”>Try Free Now: Legalese tool without registration

Find a LOCAL lawyer

Reference link