Kosovo is currently in the grip of an intense hunt, following the tragic death of a Kosovar police officer in the north of the country. Local authorities are searching for several armed men, some of whom are believed to have escaped to neighboring Serbia.
Research continues actively with the involvement of numerous police officers on the ground. Significant discoveries have already been made, including the unearthing of an arsenal of heavy weapons, explosives and provisions in several caches scattered across the region.
The main objective of the security forces is to locate the members of the armed group who took refuge for several hours in the Banjska monastery. They are suspected of having killed the policeman near the border with Serbia. Three of them were shot dead during the police operation, and a fourth body was later found.
According to Kosovar authorities, six other members of the group are currently being treated in a hospital in Novi Pazar, Serbia. They asked the Serbian authorities to immediately transfer them to the Kosovo authorities.
Tension is extremely high in the region, with reinforced security measures and the presence of NATO peacekeeping forces. The flag is at half mast in Pristina and the population expresses its indignation towards Serbia and Russia, which they accuse of seeking to trigger a regional conflict.
Kosovo immediately accused Serbia of being behind this attack, which Belgrade strongly denied, accusing Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti of having provoked the Kosovo Serbs with his actions.
This escalation of violence is one of the most serious since Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008. It risks further complicating efforts to normalize relations between Serbia and Kosovo.
Faced with this tense situation, the European Union condemned the attack described as “terrorist”, while the American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, called on both parties to exercise restraint and to work towards immediate de-escalation in coordination with the international community.
Serbia, for its part, still does not recognize the independence of Kosovo and supports the Serbs living in the region, who refuse all allegiance to Pristina.
It is essential that all parties involved exercise restraint and work together to ease tensions and avoid a more serious escalation. The stability of the Balkan region is essential for peace and security in Europe.