On the anniversary of the armed attack on the Kosovo police in Banjska, the United States (U.S.) State Department urged Serbia to bring to justice all those involved in planning and carrying out the attack.
“We reiterate our expectation that Serbia will play its role in ensuring full accountability for the perpetrators of the attack without further delay,” the State Department said.
One year ago, on September 24th, 2023, an armed group led by a former Serbian politician and businessman from Kosovo, Milan Radoicic, attacked the Kosovo police in the village of Banjska near Zvecan.
Radoicic publicly took responsibility for the attack, in which police officer Afrim Bunjaku was killed, and three others wounded.
In the ensuing exchange of fire, three Serbian attackers were also killed.
The government in Pristina labeled this attack as a terrorist act.
Radoicic, along with 44 others, faces terrorism charges in Kosovo. The filing of the indictment was earlier welcomed by the international community.
Authorities in Serbia refuse to extradite Radoicic to Kosovo and have stated that “Serbian courts” will try him, while Kosovo officials accuse them of providing him with protection.
The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade is conducting an investigation, but no indictment has yet been filed, and official cooperation between Belgrade and Pristina on this case is lacking.
