Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: The terrorist attack with a plan to annex the north of Kosovo (media)
• Stano: Kosovo Police investigating situation, Serbia should cooperate unconditionally (Koha)
• Gervalla: If internationals tolerate Serbia, there will be a war (RTK)
• Musliu: Serbia is building a military base near Izvor (Koha)
• Haradinaj demands international investigation into attacks in the north (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Petkovic: “Pathologists determined Mijailovic killed while lying on his back” (RTS, N1, media)
• Minister of Defense: Serbia will do its utmost to preserve peace, it respects UN SC Resolution 1244 (RTS)
• Serbian Army Chief of Staff: Milan Radoicic was not in training at Pasuljanske livade (N1)
• Jarinje and Brnjak closed for entry for more than a week (Kosovo Online)
• Dalibor Jevtic: We have warned international community more than 200 times (TV Most, TV Pink)
• Orban: Hungary always for dialogue, against sanctions (Tanjug)
• Mihajlovic: Radoicic tried to save Vucic and the government by confessing (KiM radio, Beta, Danas)

International:

• Serbia denies US, EU reports of military build-up along Kosovo border (Al Jazeera)
• Belgrade official slams West for abetting Kosovar premier’s aggression against local Serbs (TASS)
• The US is warning of a big build-up of Serbian troops on the Kosovo border. Here’s why tensions are high (CNN)

 

 

Albanian Language Media  

 

Kurti: The terrorist attack with a plan to annex the north of Kosovo (media)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said that based on the documentation confiscated by the Kosovo Police, the terrorist attack was part of a larger plan to annex the north of Kosovo.

“Based on confiscated documentation, Kosovo Police have confirmed that the terrorist attack was part of a larger plan to annex the north of Kosovo via a coordinated attack on 37 distinct positions. Establishing a corridor to Serbia would follow, to enable the supply of arms and troops,” Kurti wrote on X platform. 

Stano: Kosovo Police investigating situation, Serbia should cooperate unconditionally (Koha)

The spokesperson of the European Union, Peter Stano, said that one of the priorities of the EU is the de-escalation of the situation in the north of Kosovo. He said that they are in constant contact with the United States of America regarding the latest developments in the north.

"There are two main concerns: that is the terrorist attack and the discovery of a large amount of weaponry in the north, this is very worrying. We have also noticed the positioning of the Serbian army on the border line with Kosovo and this must be stopped immediately. There is no place for the army and force. All this has to stop. This was the message of the representative for foreign policy for both countries", he said.

Stano has said that they have seen the admission of Milan Radoicic for participating in the September 24 attack in Banjska. According to him, all the facts must be investigated.

"We are cooperating with partners and exchanging views with them. We are not commenting on what is happening every day. We are waiting for an investigation on everything. The European Union has said very clearly that it will take measures if the EU countries decide that they have enough facts," he said.

Stano added that the investigation is in the hands of the Kosovo Police who are cooperating with EULEX. He reiterated that they expect full unconditional cooperation from Serbia. 

"We need to see the full picture of the investigations. We will not comment on personal positions, as the European Union will respond unanimously to the decision of all the countries that make up the union. The dialogue has been there for years, and the EU's priority is to return to this process. If there was normalisation of relations, what is happening would not happen", he said.

Gervalla: If internationals tolerate Serbia, there will be a war (RTK)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo, Donika Gervalla, has warned of war, in case the international community continues the same approach towards Serbia. She told the German public medium, Deutschlandfunk, that Serbia wants to force Kosovo to negotiate on territorial issues in the dialogue. Gervalla says that the EU should freeze the status of Serbia as a candidate country.

"If the international community tolerates Serbia's actions, there will be war," she declared. 

Gervalla's statements come a week after the armed attack in the north, where a Kosovo policeman was killed and then the police had to eliminate three terrorists.

Musliu: Serbia is building a military base near Izvor (Koha)

Ganimete Musliu, head of the Parliamentary Committee for Oversight of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (KIA), has stated after the meeting of this Committee with KIA chief Petrit Ajeti that the security situation in the north is fragile while announcing that a military base is being built in the Izvor area.

Musliu, who is also MP of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) said on Monday that the KIA has noticed the increased presence of the Serbian army near the border with Kosovo.

"I want to emphasize with complete conviction that the KIA together with the Police were in their duty and performed it perfectly and on time. As you know, Serbia had territorial claims and had a claim to hold the crisis in relation to Russia's interests. Something new that we received from the KIA is the increased presence of the Serbian army at the border. A military base is being built near Izvor. What is worth noting is that the security situation is fragile", Musliu said.

Haradinaj demands international investigation into attacks in the north (Koha)

The chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, has requested an international investigation into the attacks of Serbian groups in the north, in order to clarify the scenarios for destabilization. He wrote on Facebook on Monday that everyone involved in these terrorist attacks should be brought to justice, adding that the facts they are publishing "prove Serbia's deep involvement".

"As Kosovo, we strongly stand in support of the political rights of all communities, including the Serb community, based on the Constitution, the laws of Kosovo and the French-German plan supported by America. The facts that are coming to light every day testify to the deep involvement of Serbia in the organization of terrorist acts in the north, and the state of Serbia cannot escape responsibility. Therefore, an international investigation is required to clarify the scenarios of destabilization, not only of Kosovo but also of the Balkans and to bring to justice all those who have been involved in these terrorist attacks", said former Prime Minister Haradinaj.

 

 

Serbian Language Media

 

Petkovic: “Pathologists determined Mijailovic killed while lying on his back” (RTS, N1, media)

Serbian media today widely cover the press conference of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic in relation to the armed incident in Banjska and claims of the Serbian side that at least one of the Serbs there was killed while wounded.

“Based on the photo of Bojan Mijailovic, murdered in Banjska, our pathologists determined that an entry wound was in the left eye-lid area, and the exit wound on the right side of his head, which tells that he was murdered while lying on his back”, Petkovic said. As Petkovic explained he was previously wounded in his legs. Petkovic also showed the photo of Mijailovic and said his family granted permission to show it. He also accused Kosovo police of “carrying execution of Mijailovic face to face”.

Petkovic said that Kosovo police did not allow EULEX investigators to take part in investigation of what happened in Banjska, because as he said, it did not want to be known how two Serbs, Bojan Mijailovic and Igor Milenkovic were killed.

“It is because Kosovo police wanted to hide that Serbs were killed in cold-blood. And secondly not to find out that within the ranks of Kosovo police there were hired assassins who came from different terrorist camps aiming to kill all Serbs, because that was (Albin) Kurti’s order, carried out by (interior minister) Svecla”, Petkovic said, N1 reports.

He added Serbia requests from EULEX the name and qualifications of the person who on behalf of the EU rule of law mission was present during autopsy, whether CT scanner was performed and applicable protocols observed.

“In response EULEX sent to Belgrade it is written that the autopsy was carried out on September 26, while in the death certificates all three families received it was written that the autopsy was carried out on September 25. Someone here is seriously lying and that is why it is important that we see the report. There are many lies by Albin Kurti, they lied about the number of people in Banjska – 30, then 40 and now 90, then that Kosovo police officer died in exchange of fire, and now that he died because of an explosive. There are many illogical things pointing out that Pristina is faking the facts and that is why it is clear why they refused EULEX to take part in the investigation”, Petkovic said.

“We ask KFOR and EULEX to be impartial and neutral”

Petkovic said Belgrade did not receive a reply to the second letter sent to EULEX, in which it demanded responses related to the autopsy.

“We will continue insisting on this issue and demand to find out the truth why Kosovo police forbade EULEX investigators to be present on the spot”, Petkovic said, RTS reports.

He added the terror of Albin Kurti against Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija gets stronger day by day, and that Kurti, as he said, is additionally encouraged by the lack of adequate reactions from the West, and primarily from international organisations in Kosovo.

“We ask neither KFOR nor EULEX to be on the side of the Serbian people enduring terror every day. We only ask them to be impartial and neutral”, Petkovic said.

He recalled that on the day of the burials of Serbs killed in Banjska, Lazar Janicijevic, who was on his way to the burial of his school mate, Stefan Nedeljkovic in Vrnjacka Banja, was arrested. Three days ago, Petkovic added, Kosovo police mistreated three Serbs in the village of Gornje Varage, Zubin Potok municipality. 

During the press conference Petkovic also said that 11 percent of the Serb population from northern Kosovo have left for central Serbia.

“In some cases entire families left, while in others some family members left, but plan to bring the rest of their families with them”, Petkovic said, adding that embassies are familiar with the facts that Serbs leave the north, but that reactions from the international community were missing. 

Minister of Defense: Serbia will do its utmost to preserve peace, it respects UN SC Resolution 1244 (RTS)

Serbian Army had never violated UNSC Resolution 1244 nor Kumanovo Military Technical Agreement, Serbian Minister of Defense Milos Vucevic told a press conference today in relation to the recent events in northern Kosovo and Pristina’s officials accusations of Belgrade’s involvement, RTS reports.

If the Army of Serbia receives an order that its unit enter the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, as part of Republic of Serbia, the army will carry out that task efficiently, professionally and successfully, but would previously announce it to KFOR command, he said. Vucevic added that Serbia will do its utmost for that not to happen.

Vucevic said Prstina’s accusations that Belgrade armed and trained Serbs in Kosovo were not true.

Vucevic also said that over the last months and years, in particular since Albin Kurti came to power, Serbia had been warning the international community of pressure, mistreatment and physical persecution of the Serbian people in Kosovo by Pristina.

Commenting on the latest situation after the incident in Banjska, Vucevic said Belgrade only deals with facts. In this regard, he noted that cooperation between the Serbian Army and KFOR was correct.

“Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense with KFOR is good and continuous, it is ongoing in line with UNSC Resolution 1244 and in line with the Kumanovo Agreement, it takes place on a daily basis and lasts for years”, he said. During all those years, it did not happen in any way that the Serbian Army violated those documents or impaired its communication with KFOR.

He also said a continuous campaign is being run against the Serbian Army, against its size, and activities, respectively movement and deployment of the army in the territory of our own state, adding that Belgrade finds those accusations duly inappropriate, irresponsible and rejects them as absolutely inaccurate, he said.   

He noted it is very important to continue political dialogue, to respect UN SC Resolution 1244, and implement Military-Technical Agreement from Kumanovo.

Serbia finds it particularly important that KFOR has a significant role in Kosovo, in particular in areas where Serbian people live, he said.

“The Serbian Army considers it useful to ensure a larger presence of KFOR units in Kosovo and Metohija, in particular in the areas populated by Serbs and that it would at least to some extent improve security of our people in Kosovo and Metohija”, he said.

Vucevic also refuted allegations of Pristina officials that Milan Radoicic took part in military exercises in Pasuljanske livade, adding that videos Pristina presents “mean absolutely nothing”.

“The fact that some are airing thermo-visual recordings with unclear locations with completely unidentified persons and people means absolutely nothing”, Vucevic said.

Commenting on Humvees vehicles, seen in video recordings allegedly showing Serbian army exercises, Vucevic said that Serbian Army has 12.7 millimetres machine-guns on those vehicles and those with military experience know there is no manoeuvring ammunition for this type of weapons and therefore it was not possible to carry out such exercises with people present around them as shown in Pristina’s video.

On the other hand he said, the infantry is seen around those vehicles in action as shown in Pristina’s video and under such circumstances a manoeuvring ammunition must be used, adding that Pristina has the same type of Humvee vehicles but with 7.62 millimetres machine-guns on them and there is a manoeuvring ammunition available for this type of weapons.

“Therefore a question arises whose vehicles are those and who is in action there”, Vucevic said, showing photos with details about vehicles in question. 

Serbian Army Chief of Staff: Milan Radoicic was not in training at Pasuljanske livade (N1)

Serbian Army Chief of Staff, General Milan Mojsilovic said there was no increased combat readiness of the army, but only increased activities in the ground safety zone. He also said there are 4.500 engaged members of the army in the ground safety zone. He also refuted allegations of Pristina officials that Milan Radoicic was in training at Pasuljanske livade, N1 reports.

Speaking of increased activity in this zone, General Mojsilovic said that following the security crisis that erupted in Banjska, the number of army members was 8.350 on September 25, including not only members for securing administrative boundary line, but also units that locate or are deployed near administrative line.

“From a military point of view, I find that all comments about the numerical size of the Serbian Army were totally unnecessary”, he said.

He recalled the security crisis in December 2022, and then in May 2023, adding that back then Serbia raised the combat readiness to the highest level, and had 14.000 members deployed, but “no one was troubled” by that.

Speaking of Pristina’s accusations in relation to Milan Radoicic, Mojislovic said that “Milan Radoicic never took part in trainings in Pasuljanske livade, never fired a single bullet there, never fired any grenade, nor was present at those activities. I underline, he did not take part, nor was he present in training. He was invited for the exercise of reserve members, but he never responded to it. And what Radoicic does at his private property, is not Serbian Army matter”, he emphasised.  

Jarinje and Brnjak closed for entry for more than a week (Kosovo Online)

Administrative crossing points of Brnjak and Jarinje in northern Kosovo have been closed to entry from central Serbia for more than a week for all the traffic and pedestrians, while the traffic in an opposite direction goes unimpededly, Kosovo Online portal reports.

Following the incident in Banjska, Pristina closed the crossings on September 24 and no details are available as to when those crossings would be open again. 

Dalibor Jevtic: We have warned international community more than 200 times (TV Most, TV Pink)

Serbian List Vice-President Dalibor Jevtic said last night that tragedy has happened in Kosovo, and recalled that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director, Petar Petkovic and his colleagues from the Serbian List had warned the international community almost 200 times about the danger of acts Pristina was making.

He told Pink that he had no more information about what happened than what he found out through the media.

“What happened is certainly a great tragedy, that is my assessment. When there is a loss of life, it is a tragedy. We must not observe what happened from the angle of what took place seven days ago, we should see how we got there. I want to remind about several meetings that the president had with the representatives of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, even two years ago when there was shooting in northern Mitrovica, when they wounded Sofronijevic”, Jevtic said.

At that time, he added the public was able to hear how people in the north felt and how close the situation was to a conflict.

“It is more than clear that we have to do everything in order to prevent a new tragedy and for peace to finally reign”, Jevtic said.

Radoicic did not consult party or state leadership

Jevtic repeated last night that Milan Radoicic did not consult anyone, neither within the party, nor the top state officials in Belgrade about his decision regarding the events in Kosovo.

“And certainly, by saying so, he has already given an answer to some questions that were asked. I think that is now clarified”, Jevtic told TV Pink.

According to Jevtic, Radoicic clearly showed by his public statements that the decision was not political but his and of those people who decided to take such a step as a consequence of everything that happened especially since Albin Kurti was in power in terms of endangering lives Serbs in Kosovo, especially in the north.

“If I just say that from the moment when the EU issued the statement, or rather, when they brought the request for de-escalation in the north, asking Pristina to do something about it, we have had 22 escalatory events of different types. This is something that led these people to a hopeless situation where they decided to take that step”, Jevtic said.

Orban: Hungary always for dialogue, against sanctions (Tanjug)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday in Belgrade his country always advocated dialogue during any conflict and that it had never supported sanctions against any country, Tanjug news agency reported.

After meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the UAE presidential envoy, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Orban said he was in Serbia for a trilateral as well as a bilateral meeting.

He said the trilateral meeting had showcased infrastructure, trade and various opportunities for cooperation. Orban thanked Vucic for hosting the meeting as Hungary had not had an opportunity to attend such a meeting to date.

He said a bilateral meeting with Vucic addressed "migration, issues related to Brussels, EU enlargement and certain deadlines".

Mihajlovic: Radoicic tried to save Vucic and the government by confessing (KiM radio, Beta, Danas)

Former minister Zorana Mihajlovic said that currently nothing can be done quickly or easily in Serbia if it is not according to the will of the ruling regime, especially to create a political organization that will not support the regime. Mihajlovic assessed that Milan Radoicic's confession that he was in Banjska and completed all the logistical preparations, just an attempt to save Vucic and the government, reported KiM radio.

Mihajlovic, a former member of the leadership of the Serbian Progressive Party, told Danas daily that the creation of the "Always for Serbia" movement is taking so long because, since she announced its foundation, she has been under pressure and threats, as she stated, both open and hidden, encountering closed doors and ignoring, cited KiM radio.

She also pointed out that the "Always for Serbia" movement will include Dragan Sormaz and Stanislava Pak, also former officials of the progressive party, but that it "is not a football club that brings famous names in the transition period to attract spectators".

When asked if it was possible that President Vucic did not know what would happen in Banjska, Mihajlovic said that it was not possible. "You don't have to be close or know the president to conclude with common sense that of course it is impossible that he did not know. Come on, please, what we know, the whole world knows. In order to save himself and his power, he will give up everyone, including the tortured Vulin who is loyal to him, Radoicic, or whoever," said Mihajlovic.

She added that Radoicic's admission that he was in Banjska and that he had done all the logistical preparations was just an attempt to save Vucic and the government.

"You don't buy an armoured vehicle and all those weapons worth over five million euros in 'Maxi' (a store). Not to mention immorality, that on the one hand you have the Serbian people who, let's say south of the Ibar, are barely surviving, and over here the vice-president of the Serbian List lives in a villa on the lake, like Blake Carrington," Mihajlovic emphasised.

She pointed out that in 2013 there were about 145,000 Serbs in Kosovo, and that today there are less than 90,000.

"There will probably be even fewer of them after this, because they suffer not only from the terror of Kurti and Albanian extremists, but also from the Serbian List," Mihajlovic said.

 

 

International 

 

Serbia denies US, EU reports of military build-up along Kosovo border (Al Jazeera)

President Aleksandar Vucic’s statement comes after shootout kills four people and fuels tensions in the volatile Balkan region.

Serbia has denied reports of a military build-up along the border with Kosovo, alleging a “campaign of lies” against his country in the wake of a shootout a week earlier that killed four people and fuelled tensions in the volatile Balkan region.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/49c3mydf

Belgrade official slams West for abetting Kosovar premier’s aggression against local Serbs (TASS)

"We are not asking KFOR and EULEX to take the side of the Serbs, the exiled Serb people, the people who suffer from Kurti’s terror every day. We are just asking them to be impartial and neutral," Petar Petkovic stressed

The NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) and the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) are, through their inaction, prodding Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to continue pursuing his aggressive stance against the local Serbian population, Petar Petkovic, director of the Serbian government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija, said. 

"Albin Kurti’s terror keeps increasing with every passing day," Petkovic said at a press conference. "I believe that the lack of a proper response from the West, particularly from the international organizations that are active in Kosovo and Metohija, is additionally encouraging him to attack the Serb people," he added.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/frcf8pj4

The US is warning of a big build-up of Serbian troops on the Kosovo border. Here’s why tensions are high (CNN)

The long fractious ties between Kosovo and Serbia are once again on edge after one of the worst outbreaks of violence in years.

The trigger for the latest flare-up was the killing of a Kosovar police officer and an ensuing shootout at a monastery last weekend, but the roots of the tensions go as far back as the 1990s and the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia.

The White House is concerned, warning of an “unprecedented” build up of advanced Serbian artillery, tanks, and mechanized infantry units near the Kosovo frontier and calling for an “immediate de-escalation.”

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/57287p6k