There have been four attacks on police officers in the last three days near the Kosovo-Serbia border, according to a press conference held by Kosovo’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, and Kosovo Police director Samedin Mehmeti.
“Various groups in the last three days have committed four attacks,” said Svecla. The attacks purportedly took place in Zubin Potok, a Serb-majority municipality in the north of Kosovo.
The latest of the attacks on police officers took place around 7.40am on Friday, targeting Kosovan officers “who were going to change shifts at the border crossing points.”
“The attack with hand grenades and an AK-47, a terrorist act, was carried out with the purpose of frightening the police officials and the citizens of Kosovo,” Svecla said, “The two cars transporting the police officials at the border crossing points were directly shot at.”
Two of the four attacks on police officers were carried out around 8am, also when police officers were changing shifts.
At the press conference, Svecla displayed photos of damage caused as a result of the attacks. The first attack purportedly took place on Wednesday, when metal anti-tank obstacles were placed on the road.
The second incident took place on the same day, when police vehicles were attacked with rocks. The third attack took place on Thursday evening, with gunshots fired at police officers.
According to Svecla, the attacks on police officers could be explained by the fact that Kosovo police had now turned into an “obstacle” for organized criminal groups supported by Serbia.
Mehmeti claimed that the attacks were “synchronized,” and took place in close succession, leading police to believe they were carried out by an organized group.
The attacks took place 200 to 300 meters from where police recently closed an “illegal road used for contraband goods,” located in the village of Bube in Zubin Potok.
Since February 2022, Kosovo police have begun closing roads used for smuggling and other illegal activities in border areas between Kosovo and Serbia, as well as the border area with North Macedonia.
The attacks are now under investigation by Kosovo Police’s Anti-Terrorism Unit and the Special Prosecution.
The main road to the Serbian border crossing point in Bernjak was closed on Friday, while prosecutors and police investigators gathered evidence in the area.
Image by JamesRonin via Pixabay
