Gasic: 181 incidents in the Ground Safety Zone since the New Year

Serbia’s Minister of Defence Bratislav Gasic stated that since the beginning of the year, 181 incidents have occurred in the Ground Safety Zone (GSZ), and that the Ministry of the Interior (MoI) conducted an on-site investigation regarding the incident of 16 November, when shots were fired at a Serbian Armed Forces (SAF) patrol.

During a debate in the National Assembly, responding to a member of parliament who asked what occurred on 16 November in the GSZ—when, according to media reports, a group of Albanians opened fire on SAF personnel and then fled toward Kosovo—Gasic said that the case had been reported to the competent prosecutor’s office in Vranje, which has launched an investigation, and that the MoI carried out the crime-scene inspection.

“From New Year’s Day until today, there have been a total of 181 incidents in the GSZ. What is regrettable is that no one has ever shown concern for these 180 attacks on the Serbian Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence, and its members, while the statements of the so-called Kosovo Police were suddenly treated as relevant. A military dog was not hit at that time; the incident was reported to the public prosecutor’s office with jurisdiction over the area where it occurred, and everything was done in accordance with the law. The prosecutor’s office in Vranje initiated an investigation, and the MoI conducted the on-site inspection, so I cannot speak further on the matter,” Gasic said.

He added that members of KFOR were also informed of the incident, noting that the Serbian Armed Forces maintain daily communication with them.