Police say they were attacked in the north with explosive devices

Kosovo Police said that in the early hours of the morning of April 16 there were two explosions in Sharpej of Jarinje, where the border crossing between Kosovo and Serbia is located, adding that no injuries or material damage were reported.

According to the police, it is suspected that the explosions occurred near a police patrol car, were carried out with pyrotechnic devices. Police said they suspected that these pyrotechnic items were thrown “from the territory of Serbia”.

“The blasts occurred near a police car which was at a static point where police were focused on preventing smuggling in the area,” the statement said.

This is the fifth attack reported in the last four days in northern Kosovo, near the border crossings between Kosovo and Serbia.

“Looking at the scene, it was noticed that a piece of paper [suspected pyrotechnics wrapper] was left on the window of the police car]. The incident took place in a part that is close to the territory of Serbia and the reasonable suspicion is that these explosive devices were thrown from the territory of Serbia. “The police have been monitoring an illegal road that was closed some time ago and which was used for smuggling goods”, it is said in the announcement.

Attacks in the north

Authorities in Kosovo on April 15 announced that the Kosovo Police has been the target of several attacks carried out in recent days. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla, announced that the Kosovo Police was attacked on April 15, as they were enroute to take duty at the border crossings with Serbia.

“This attack, already proven, with a hand grenade and AK-47, as a terrorist act, was carried out with the aim of intimidating police officers, but also of all citizens of Kosovo,” he said.

Placing road spikes on the street – one of the attacks of the last days in the north of the country against the Kosovo Police, April 15, 2022.

Following the attacks in the north, calls are made against the escalation of the situation
Minister Sveçla also said that “different groups in the last three days have carried out four attacks in that area.” He has called these terrorist attacks.

According to Svecla, the latest attacks were carried out by certain groups “supported by Serbia”.

“I think that Serbia’s goal at the moment is not to attack Kosovo, but to destabilize Kosovo,” Svecla said.

Kosovo Police in February announced that they have started to close some roads used for smuggling. Meanwhile, in October last year, police officers had conducted a large-scale action against smuggling in the region of Prishtina, Peja, South Mitrovica and North Mitrovica.

The recent attacks in northern Kosovo, a Serb-majority area, were condemned by the US Embassy in Pristina, the European Union and NATO.