Kosovo’s prime minister has said that at least 30 heavily armed people have been surrounded by police in the country’s north, as a clash between the police and gunmen left one police officer dead and another injured.
"There are at least 30 heavily armed persons, professional military or police forces, who have been surrounded by the Kosovo Police and whom I invite to surrender to our security authorities," Albin Kurti said after meeting with the country’s Security Council on Sunday.
At a news conference, Kurti showed several photos from the village of Banjska and said that the shooting is ongoing and that armed individuals are not average citizens.
"It is clear that these uniformed persons – of whom there are at least 30, although no distinctions and emblems can be seen on their uniforms – represent an organised formation that came to fight in Kosovo,” Kurti said.
Exchange of gunfire
Earlier, police said in a statement that a group of armed Serbs blocked a bridge leading to Banjska village, located near the city of Mitrovica, with two trucks lacking license plates.
A shootout erupted after the group opened fire on police who went to the scene to investigate the issue.
The statement said that two officers were shot in the clash, during which the armed group also threw hand grenades, adding that the injured officers were taken to the hospital.
Following the incident, a large number of security forces were dispatched to the region, and the Brnjak border crossing point between Kosovo and Serbia was closed.
Strife
Serbia and Kosovo face many disputes as Belgrade sees its neighbour as its territory and has blocked its efforts to join international organisations and obtain recognition by other states.
The leaders of the two nations met in EU-facilitated talks in Brussels to normalise relations. But, the parties have so far struggled to implement the agreements reached.
