Kosovo Police Confirm One Attacker Killed

(Patria) - Kosovo Police announced that one of the attackers in Banjska and Zveçan has been killed.

In a press release, the police stated that the situation in the north of the country remains tense.

“Criminal groups from time to time attack police units on the ground with firearms, which, despite the attacks against them, continue their engagement by creating a security perimeter, in the interest of calming the situation, ensuring security and the rule of law in Kosovo,” the police statement reads.

According to police data, a significant number of professional attackers, masked and uniformed, armed with heavy weaponry, grenades, military equipment (bazookas), and some armored vehicles, are using various private spaces and facilities, including within and around the monastery in Banjska, to move, take cover, and position themselves to shoot at Kosovo Police units.

For security reasons, the police have closed two border crossings in the north – Jarinje and Bernjak – to border traffic.

During the previous night, the attackers killed one police officer and wounded another.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated during a media address that around 30 masked attackers with armored vehicles without license plates are hiding in the monastery.

KFOR on alert

KFOR stated that Kosovo Police, as the first responsible entity to respond, has the primary responsibility for managing the incident on the ground.

“The KFOR Commander is in close and continuous contact with all international actors, including the EU, the Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, and Kosovo institutions, and is working intensively to find a solution,” the statement reads.

The NATO-led KFOR mission stated that it strongly condemns the attack on Kosovo Police and extends its deepest condolences to the family of the police officer killed early this morning in Banjska.