Petkovic: Pristina is using yesterday's events as a pretext for the most blatant terror in northern Kosovo

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, pointed out that the Serbs in northern Kosovo were going through unprecedented terror, with ROSU special units entering Serb homes since last night and beating civilians. He also mentioned that a driver and a technician from the Serbian medical service had been detained during the day, and three people had been arrested in Rajska Banja.

He pointed out in the announcement that yesterday's events in Banjska were used by Pristina as a pretext for the most blatant terror in northern Kosovo, where Kurti's special units had been mistreating Serb civilians throughout the day.

Petkovic expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the Serbs who died in yesterday's tragic events in the village of Banjska in the municipality of Zvecan, as well as to the family of the Albanian police officer who had been killed. He reminded that Belgrade had been sending constant warnings to the international community for over a year that daily violence and provocations by Albin Kurti towards the Serbs in northern Kosovo could lead to tragedy and unforeseeable consequences.

"Unfortunately, this happened yesterday. Albin Kurti persistently undermined every possibility of dialogue and normalization of relations until blood was shed in northern Kosovo and Metohija. Northern Kosovo and Metohija used to be a space of peaceful coexistence until Kurti's special units began to interfere, and Kurti is implementing his plan of ethnic cleansing of the Serbs. During the horrific events in Zvecan, we witnessed Kurti's special units monstrously wishing for the death of the Serbs and laughing heartily at the shot Serbs," stated Petkovic in his press release.

He added that he supported the demand of the Serb List for international missions to conduct an impartial investigation into the actions of Kosovo Special Forces during the events in Zvecan.

"From that moment on, the Serbs in northern Kosovo and Metohija are going through unprecedented terror, of which you will not hear a word of condemnation from international representatives. ROSU special units have been entering Serb homes since last night, beating, slapping, and insulting civilians. During the day, a driver and a technician from the Serbian medical service were detained for several hours at the ROSU base in Brnjak. Parts of the 'Rajska Banja' complex were vandalized today, and three employees were arbitrarily arrested. Additionally, the Kosovo Police demolished the post office in Banjska. Yesterday's events were used by Pristina as a pretext for the most blatant terror in northern Kosovo and Metohija, where Kurti's special units have been mistreating Serb civilians throughout the day," Petkovic explained.

If KFOR and EULEX have been passive in the past year in the face of Kurti's terror, despite our almost daily warnings that the situation could spiral out of control, it is now high time for them to take decisive measures to stop the rampage of the Albanian police in northern Kosovo and restore peace, Petkovic stated.

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija emphasized that Serbia appealed to actors in the international community to urgently take concrete steps to curb Kurti's warlike and occupier policy and spare the region from another collapse of hard-won peace.