

Kosovo police in the north of Mitrovica on Tuesday. Photo: BIRN

Kosovo police launched raids in the early hours of Tuesday morning in the Serb-majority north of the divided town of Mitrovica, sparking an angry reaction from Serbia.

Ten people have been arrested so far, and the police action is ongoing, according to a BIRN reporter.

Among those arrested is the chief of police of the village of Zubin Potok, said Syle Hoxha, the prosecutor in the case.

A Kosovo police officer was wounded by a gunshot during the operation, but is not in danger of losing his life. Two other officers were also injured, according to doctors in North Mitrovica.

Police said that in Zubin Potok, barricades were set up and tyres set on fire to deter police officers.

Kosovo police said the operation was launched to detain suspects who have allegedly been participating in or organising criminal groups and have been involved in the smuggling of goods, misuse of official positions, bribery and trading in contraband.

“Even though the police operation was confronted with armed resistance in the north of Mitrovica, it is continuing and it includes arrests and taking control over some locations, which has resulted in the confiscation of relevant evidence, including rifles,” police said in a statement.

Police also said that the operation has nothing to do with the murder of Enver Zymberi, a policeman who was killed in the north of Kosovo eight years ago, nor with the investigation into the death of Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic, who was murdered in 2018.

Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said that the aim was to target “individuals involved in contraband, organised crime and other criminal acts” and that the operation was not against Serbs in general.

“Some persons involved in these acts are customs officials, policemen and other random citizens,” Haradinaj wrote on Facebook.

“As prime minister of the country, I confirm that it is about rule of law and nothing else. I invite the Serbs in the north to keep calm and respect the law,” he added.

The Kosovo police upon the request of the Special Prosecutor and the Police Inspectorate is conducting a operation in northern Kosovo to arrest Kosovo citizens and Kosovo Police Members who are part of a organized crime network involved in smuggling, bribery, etc. — Behgjet Pacolli (@pacollibehgjet) May 28, 2019

But the head of the Serbian government’s office for Kosovo, Marko Djuric, said on Tuesday morning that the goal was to cause fear and panic.

“This morning, around 6am, special units of the ROSU [Regional Operational Support Unit] stormed in from three directions into the north of Kosovo, into the territory of all four [Serb-majority] municipalities, with the aim of intimidating and provoking panic,” Djuric told Tanjug news agency.

He said that “separatists from Pristina have reached for more terrifying methods to scare Serbs” and want to “create an impossible climate for Serbs in Kosovo”.

Meanwhile, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the Interior Ministry ordered the Serbian Army to be put on full combat readiness, Tanjug reported.

Tanjug also reported that Vucic has launched “intensive diplomatic activities” over the raids.

“The president asked Western political authorities to control Pristina and let them know Serbia will not allow ethnic cleansing,” Tanjug said it was told by the Serbian president’s office.

Serbian media also reported that Serbs in north Mitrovica have started to gather in the town’s centre.