These people are accused by Pristina of having participated in an ambush which killed a Kosovar policeman last year near the Orthodox monastery of Banjska.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti demands Serbia hand over the 45 Serbian fighters involved in the attack that killed a Kosovar Albanian policeman, Afrim Bunjaku, last year.
“The brutes who want war in Kosovo, in the Balkans, will have no place in Kosovo. I don’t know about Serbia, but they will not be able to walk freely in Kosovo.”said Albin Kurti during the unveiling of a plaque in honor of the deceased policeman near the village of Banjska.
A group of Serbian armed men opened fire in the vicinity of this village located in northern Kosovo, in September 2023, killing Afrim Bunjaku and injuring another police officerThe group then took refuge in a nearby Serbian Orthodox monastery, where they held off local police for 12 hours.
Kosovo prosecutors have charged 45 people with violation of the constitutional and legal order, terrorist activities, financing of terrorism and money launderingThese charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
So far, Only three people have been arrested, while others are still on the run.
Kosovo accuses Belgrade of orchestrating ambush
Albin Kurti claims Serbia is responsible for this attack whose aim, according to him, was to annex part of Kosovo.
“A year has passed since the heroic death of Kosovar police officer Afrim Bunjaku, who, together with his colleagues, fell into an ambush prepared against our police officers by paramilitaries and terrorists orchestrated, directed and financed by Serbia”says the Kosovar Prime Minister.
Albin Kurti added that the group had attempted to smuggle a significant number of weapons into Kosovo, with the aim of triggering “a wider and longer conflict”.
Serbia denies the accusations and says the shooters acted on their own..
The attack in Banjska has been strongly condemned by the European Union and the United States, which are calling on Belgrade to hand over the shooters.
EU spokesman Peters Stano stressed the importance of prosecuting those responsible, saying: This attack was a reminder of the need to normalise relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
