Kosovo has indicted 45 individuals on terrorism charges, marking almost a year since ethnic Serb gunmen attacked a northern Kosovo village, resulting in a shootout that claimed four lives, including a police officer. This incident, the most severe violence in the region since Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008, heightened tensions between Pristina and Belgrade.
"There is compelling evidence that all 45 suspects have committed crimes related to terrorism, offenses against the constitutional order, financing of terrorism, and money laundering," stated Blerim Isufaj, the chief prosecutor of the Special Prosecution of Kosovo, during a press conference.
On September 24, 2023, police reported that approximately 80 gunmen, armed with armored vehicles, entered Kosovo from Serbia and barricaded themselves in a Serbian Orthodox monastery in Banjska village, a predominantly ethnic Serb area in northern Kosovo. The ensuing shootout resulted in the deaths of three gunmen and a Kosovar police officer, with the remaining assailants fleeing on foot through the hills back to Serbia, leaving behind vehicles filled with weapons, ammunition, and explosives.
Among those indicted is Milan Radoicic, the group's leader and a former prominent Kosovo Serb politician, who currently resides in Serbia and has publicly acknowledged his involvement in the gunbattle. All suspects, some of whom are Kosovo citizens, are believed to be in Serbia, where it is unlikely they will be extradited to Kosovo, as Belgrade does not recognize Kosovo's independence and still considers it part of its own territory.
Kosovo accuses Serbia of orchestrating the shootout, a claim Belgrade denies. Earlier this year, Interpol issued international arrest warrants for 19 suspects, including Radoicic. The approximately 50,000 Serbs living in northern Kosovo do not recognize Pristina's institutions and view Belgrade as their capital, often clashing with Kosovo police and international peacekeepers.
