How did another armed conflict ‘start’ in Kosovo on TV Pink?

The road blocks in the north of Kosovo that were placed on Sunday, July 31, the day before the decisions of the Government of Kosovo on Serbian license plates and documents came into force, were the reason for a special show on Pink TV where it was announced “the beginning of armed conflict”, which in the end did not even happen.

In the main term of the evening, accompanied by a danger alert, the presenter announced that “according to the director of Kosovo’s Mitrovica KBC, Milan Ivanovic, the first wounded have arrived and their number is unknown”, said the presenter and emphasized that “this is a prelude of the beginning of an armed conflict”.

It is incorrect that on that night, Sunday, July 31, 2022, an armed conflict began between the northern Serbs and the Kosovo Police. The assertion that, as the presenter pointed out, an unknown number of wounded have reached KBC (KKS) Mitrovica is also incorrect. The director of the Health Center in Mitrovica, Zlatan Elek, confirmed through the pro-government portal Kosovo Online that there were no injuries.

Another example of disinformation sent in a special program on TV Pink is the false citation of the source because Dr. Milan Ivanovic is not the director of “Kosovo’s Mitrovica KBC”, which can be checked on the official website.

This kind of propaganda and classical spin on the national frequency, in addition to the existing tensions in the north, worried even more the public opinion and especially the residents of the Serbian areas in Kosovo.

In addition to the “spectacle” in Pink, on the same evening fake news was spread on Twitter and other social networks. The Ministry of Defense of Serbia has refuted the false news that there was a fight between the Serbian Army and the Kosovo Police, which was circulating on social networks.

The general security situation in the municipalities in the north of Kosovo is tense, KFOR assesses in a statement in which it emphasizes that in accordance with its mandate it will intervene if stability in Kosovo is endangered.

Previously, the police stated that there is no official information about injured citizens or police officers, while they called on all media and citizens not to fall for fake news, which, as they say, destabilizes the situation and creates panic.

Meanwhile, the Minister of the Interior, Xhelal Sveçla, held a press conference with the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, where he announced that 11 citizens were “injured” by “illegal armed structures” and that the police have started investigations, Kossev announced. .

Citizens have reported mistreatment and attacks on Albanian citizens who were on the road in the north, saying that there were four cases, while the police, according to official information, were shot in four cases and an explosion was heard.

After the diplomatic intervention of Washington and Brussels, Prishtina postponed the implementation of the decisions, the armed conflict did not occur despite high security tensions.