Kosovo blames ‘illegal Serbian groups’ for attack at northern border

According to EURACTIV, Kosovo police patrolling the Serbian border came under fire at the weekend, in an area of the country marred by ethnic disputes and smuggling activities, while the government has laid the blame on ‘illegal Serbian groups’.

Tensions between western Balkan neighbours Kosovo and Serbia have flared recently and came to a head last week after Kosovo said it would oblige cars with Serbian license plates to replace them with temporary Kosovo plates when entering the country. In addition, Serbian nationals entering Kosovo would have to file an additional document.

While both measures mirror those already in place for Kosovo citizens entering Serbia, Belgrade reacted strongly, and due to EU and US intervention, the decision was postponed until 1 September amid ongoing dialogue.

Police said their patrol came under fire close to the town of Zubin Potok when they were trying to launch a boat on Gazivodalake, part of the border.

“There were at least 10 shots… they hit close to a police boat, but no one was injured,” they said in a statement.

On Sunday, Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla blamed Serbia, saying that illegal groups were trying to “disrupt the work of the Kosovo authorities”.

He also claimed that the arrest of a Russian journalist trying to cross the border from Serbia to Kosovo was evidence that Moscow was in support of Belgrade in its destabilisation efforts.

Svecla confirmed that Russian journalist Daria Aslamova was arrested at the border on suspicion that she could be a spy, and security authorities were searching “for her intentions.”

“Many countries have proven that she was engaged in espionage for Russian military intelligence and that she pretended to be a journalist,” Svecla said in a press statement, adding she had been declared persona non grata for five years,

Aslamova is a special correspondent for the Russian daily Komsomoskaya Pravda, known for its pro-Kremlin positions. She has also worked in Ukraine as a war correspondent for a propaganda channel called Tsargrad.

To defuse tensions, the leaders of both countries, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, will meet in Brussels on 18 August for an EU-backed dialogue.