One Kosovo police officer killed and another wounded in an attack in the north, raising tensions

Kosovo’s prime minister says one police officer has been killed and another wounded in an attack he blames on support from neighboring Serbia

Kosovo Serbia EU Envoy (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Kosovo's prime minister on Sunday said one police officer was killed and another wounded in an attack he blamed on support from neighboring Serbia, raising the prospect of increased tensions between the two former war foes at a delicate moment in their European Union-facilitated dialogue to normalize ties.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti said “masked professionals armed with heavy weapons” opened fire on a police patrol in the village of Banjska, Leposavic, 55 kilometers (35 miles) north of the capital Pristina at 3 a.m. (01:00 GMT), killing one officer and injuring another, whose condition is not life-threatening.

“Organized crime, which is politically, financially and logistically supported from Belgrade, is attacking our state,” Kurti wrote on his Facebook page.

Kurti said that gunfire against police with different weapons was ongoing.

“The government of the Republic of Kosovo and its state institutions are ready and coordinated to respond to crime and criminals, terror and terrorists,” he said.

Earlier this month, an EU-facilitated dialogue meeting in Brussels between Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic ended in acrimony.

In February, the EU put forward a 10-point plan to end months of political crises. Kurti and Vucic gave their approval at the time, but with some reservations that have still not been resolved.

The EU warned both countries that the commitments that Serbia and Kosovo made in February “are binding on them and play a role in the European path of the parties,” which refers to their chances of joining the 27-nation bloc.

In May tensions in northern Kosovo left 93 peacekeepers hurt in riots.

Serbia and its former province, Kosovo, have been at odds for decades. Their 1998-99 war left more than 10,000 people dead, mostly Kosovo Albanians. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008 but Belgrade has refused to recognize the move.

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Semini reported from Tirana, Albania.

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Follow Llazar Semini at https://twitter.com/lsemini