Kosovo Demands Extradition Of Escaped Serb Gunmen After Deadly Shootout, As Police Neutralize Armed Attackers In Standoff
Kosovo demands extradition of escaped Serb gunmen who managed to escape following a shootout with Kosovar police in the restive north of the country, an incident that left four people dead.
Author:Suleman ShahReviewer:Han JuSep 25, 20234.5K Shares353.6K Views
Kosovo demands extradition of escaped Serb gunmenwho managed to escape following a shootout with Kosovar police in the restive north of the country, an incident that left four people dead.
This incident has further exacerbated the already tense relationship between Pristina and Belgrade.
Gunmen Storm Village, Barricade Themselves In Monastery
The dramatic events unfolded when a group of armed gunmen stormed the village of Banjska on Sunday.
A fierce battle ensued between the gunmen and Kosovar police, culminating in the gunmen barricading themselves inside a Serbian Orthodox monastery. Late on Sunday, the police successfully retook control of the monastery, but not without casualties.
“„Three gunmen have been killed, two gunmen and four suspects have been arrested, the latter were found in illegal possession of radio communications, and who are suspected of being related to a terrorist group.- Kosovar police
The United States swiftly condemned the attacks on police officers and urged both the governments of Kosovo, a former Serbian province with a 90% ethnic Albanian majority, and Serbia to work towards defusing decades of antagonism.
On Monday, armed police conducted house-to-house searches in Banjska to locate any of the estimated 30 gunmen who may not have fled. The village remained sealed off to journalists.
Gunmen Believed To Have Escaped To Serbia
Kosovar authorities later revealed that they believed some of the gunmen had escaped to nearby Serbia.
Kosovo's Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla stated that six wounded members of the armed group had been hospitalized in the southern Serbian city of Novi Pazar, near Kosovo's northern border.
“„We are demanding from Serbia to hand these men over to Kosovo authorities as soon as possible, to face justice for their terrorist acts.- Kosovo's Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla
However, Serbian government officials had not responded to Reuters' requests for comment at the time of reporting.
In the northern town of Mitrovica, Kosovar police displayed around 20 SUVs and an armored truck allegedly used by the gunmen. Three of the vehicles were even painted with the KFOR logo, signifying the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.
Additionally, an array of weapons and ammunition seized during the operation were showcased, including former Yugoslav army assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, mortars, anti-tank rocket launchers, hand grenades, land mines, and drones.
Ethnic Tensions And Political Disputes
The incident is a serious escalation in a region that has been prone to unrest. While Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, Serbia does not recognize Kosovo's statehood.
The northern Serb population in Kosovo continues to see Belgrade as their capital and rejects Kosovo's authority.
This ongoing ethnic tension has been compounded by political disputes, including Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti's reluctance to grant significant autonomy to Kosovo's Serb municipalities, fearing it would lead to ethnic partition.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken urged both Kosovo and Serbia to "refrain from any actions or rhetoric which could further inflame tensions." Russia, Serbia's traditional ally, has been monitoring the situation closely, describing it as "tense and potentially dangerous."
EU's Call For De-Escalation
Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, strongly condemned the attack and called for a de-escalation of the situation.
He emphasized the need for the responsible perpetrators to face justice and urged all actors to work towards de-escalation in northern Kosovo.
Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have been on the rise in recent months, with violent protests erupting over controversial local elections earlier this year.
These tensions underscore the ongoing challenges facing the region and the need for diplomatic efforts to foster stability and reconciliation.
Final Words
The recent deadly shootout in Kosovo's restive north has intensified tensions between Kosovo and Serbia.
Kosovo's call for Serbia to surrender the ethnic Serb gunmen who escaped the confrontation adds a new layer of complexity to the ongoing ethnic and political disputes in the region.
The incident underscores the challenges of maintaining stability and reconciliation in this volatile area, as international actors, including the United States and the European Union, call for de-escalation and a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The situation remains fluid, and further developments will be closely watched by the international community.
Suleman Shah
Author
Suleman Shah is a researcher and freelance writer. As a researcher, he has worked with MNS University of Agriculture, Multan (Pakistan) and Texas A & M University (USA). He regularly writes science articles and blogs for science news website immersse.com and open access publishers OA Publishing London and Scientific Times. He loves to keep himself updated on scientific developments and convert these developments into everyday language to update the readers about the developments in the scientific era. His primary research focus is Plant sciences, and he contributed to this field by publishing his research in scientific journals and presenting his work at many Conferences.
Shah graduated from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and started his professional carrier with Jaffer Agro Services and later with the Agriculture Department of the Government of Pakistan. His research interest compelled and attracted him to proceed with his carrier in Plant sciences research. So, he started his Ph.D. in Soil Science at MNS University of Agriculture Multan (Pakistan). Later, he started working as a visiting scholar with Texas A&M University (USA).
Shah’s experience with big Open Excess publishers like Springers, Frontiers, MDPI, etc., testified to his belief in Open Access as a barrier-removing mechanism between researchers and the readers of their research. Shah believes that Open Access is revolutionizing the publication process and benefitting research in all fields.
Han Ju
Reviewer
Hello! I'm Han Ju, the heart behind World Wide Journals. My life is a unique tapestry woven from the threads of news, spirituality, and science, enriched by melodies from my guitar. Raised amidst tales of the ancient and the arcane, I developed a keen eye for the stories that truly matter. Through my work, I seek to bridge the seen with the unseen, marrying the rigor of science with the depth of spirituality.
Each article at World Wide Journals is a piece of this ongoing quest, blending analysis with personal reflection. Whether exploring quantum frontiers or strumming chords under the stars, my aim is to inspire and provoke thought, inviting you into a world where every discovery is a note in the grand symphony of existence.
Welcome aboard this journey of insight and exploration, where curiosity leads and music guides.
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