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Dnevnik Express
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One Kosovo policeman was killed and another wounded in a shooting in a village in northern Kosovo last night, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said, quoted by Reuters and the Associated Press, BTA reports.
Kurti accused Serbia that the attack was carried out with its support. The Kosovo Prime Minister explained that the incident happened around 3 am local time in the village of Banska, Leposavich municipality, 55 km north of Pristina. According to Kosovo police, two trucks without license plates blocked a bridge at the entrance to the settlement. Three police teams were sent to open the road when they came under fire from various positions with firearms, hand grenades and bombs.
Kosovo has withdrawn more police officers to the north, an Albanian mayor has been in his municipality for 70 days
The police managed to repel the attack and take the injured policemen to a hospital in South Mitrovica. One of the employees was already dead on arrival at the hospital. The other’s life is out of danger.
“Organized crime, politically, financially and logistically supported by Belgrade, is attacking our country,” Kurti wrote on Facebook, adding: “The Government of the Republic of Kosovo and its state institutions are ready and coordinated to respond to crime and criminals, to terror and terrorists.” According to his message, the shooting against the police continued during the day.
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, who is in New York for the UN General Assembly, condemned the killing as “attacks on the sovereignty of the Republic of Kosovo” and testimony to the “destabilizing power of criminal gangs organized by Serbia”.
For his part, the US ambassador in Pristina condemned the “orchestrated, violent attacks against the Kosovo police this morning” and added that “the Kosovo police have full and legitimate responsibility to enforce the rule of law according to the constitution and laws of Kosovo.”
Serbia’s response to the case
The Speaker of the Serbian Parliament, Vladimir Orlić, said that the Kosovo Prime Minister was “rushing to blame the Serbs” for the killing of the Kosovo policeman, when in fact Kurti himself wanted an escalation on the spot.
Orlich commented that Curti “says this is some kind of organized action by professionals. They must have been identified and he knows who and what they are.”
Earlier this month, another meeting between Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic as part of the EU-brokered dialogue ended inconclusively.
