PRISTINA – Kosovo’s high minister on Sunday mentioned one police officer was once killed and another wounded in an attack he blamed on beef up from neighboring Serbia, raising the prospect of larger tensions between the two former battle foes at a gentle second in their European Union-facilitated discussion to normalize ties.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti mentioned “masked professionals armed with heavy weapons” opened fireplace 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 situation isn’t life-threatening.
“Organized crime, which is politically, financially and logistically supported from Belgrade, is attacking our state,” Kurti wrote on his Facebook web page.
Kurti mentioned that gunfire towards police with other guns was once 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 mentioned.
Earlier this month, an EU-facilitated dialogue assembly in Brussels between Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic ended in acrimony.
In February, the EU put forward a 10-point plan to finish months of political crises. Kurti and Vucic gave their approval at the time, however with some reservations that experience nonetheless no longer been resolved.
The EU warned each nations 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 probabilities of becoming a member of the 27-nation bloc.
In May tensions in northern Kosovo left 93 peacekeepers harm in riots.
Serbia and its former province, Kosovo, were at odds for many years. Their 1998-99 war left greater than 10,000 other people lifeless, most commonly Kosovo Albanians. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008 however Belgrade has refused to acknowledge the transfer.
___
Semini reported from Tirana, Albania.
——
Follow Llazar Semini at https://twitter.com/lsemini