Hovenier: Some kind of structure or structures is behind the attack in the north

2023-09-30 14:38:57, Kosova & Bota CNA

Hovenier: Some kind of structure or structures is behind the attack in the north

The Ambassador of the United States in Pristina, Jeffrey Hovenier

The United States Ambassador to Pristina, Jeffrey Hovenier, said on Saturday that some kind of structure or structures is behind the armed attack on the Kosovo Police last week in the north of the country, during which a police officer was killed.

Asked by the BBC on Saturday whether Serbia was behind the attack, Hovenier said the quantity and quality of the weapons found in Banjska Zve?ani showed that "the ethnic Serb attackers did not provide them themselves".

"Now, also, we know that an individual who was the vice president of one of the Serbian parties in Kosovo, who is known to have participated in events with high-ranking Serbian officials, announced through his lawyer that he was the organizer of this event and that he was present", said Hovenier referring to Millan Radoicic, the current vice-president of Lista Serbe - the largest party of Serbs in Kosovo.

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, thanked Radoicic for "protecting the Serbs in Kosovo", before declaring later that he will be questioned by justice.

On Friday, Radoiçiçi took responsibility for the attacks on the Kosovo Police in the village of Banjské in Zveçan on September 24, and resigned from his post in the party.

"So we are still working to find out who exactly was responsible. But now we know more about it and we are concerned about what happened," added Hovenier.

The Kosovo police were attacked on September 24 in an ambush by an armed group while they were going to check the blocking of a road near a bridge in Banjska, where Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was killed.

The attackers took refuge in the village monastery where they continued the confrontation with the police, and as a result three of them were killed. Three suspected attackers have been arrested and are being held in custody in Pristina.

In an interview for Radio Free Europe on September 29, the Minister of the Interior of Kosovo, Xelal Svecla, said that Radoicic did not act alone as he said, but supported by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic.

Radoiçiqi is on the black list of the United States due to corruption and international crime./ REL