State Department calls for calm after Kosovo Police Action in the North

“We will continue to work with the European Union and NATO to help all sides achieve progress in normalising relations and reducing tensions”, the REL has been said in response.

Kosovo police have conducted a police anti-muggling action in the Pristina, Peja, South Mitrovica and North Mitrovica region on 13 October.
The action has been rejected by local Serbs in northern Mitrovica and Zvecan, who have protested and set up barricades.

In the evening hours, barricades located on the Pristina-Rasca magistrate's Road, in the Rudare settlement, in the Zvecan municipality, as well as those located at the Bosniaks' Lagen in North Mitrovica respectively, have retired.

According to authorities, ten police officers and ten citizens have been injured in North Mitrovica, meanwhile, eight people have been arrested or detained.

Also, ten persons suspected of smuggling into goods have been declared on the run.

Authorities in Kosovo have said hundreds of thousands of euros worth of smuggled goods have been seized during the action.
Kosovo Minister of Internal Affairs Jedal Svecla has said Wednesday that Kosovo Police and Customs's action against smuggling of goods is part of the Kosovo authorities' fight against smuggling and tax evasion.

This operation is not directed against any nationality. This operation is directed against criminals who have illegally smuggled goods to Kosovo. The prosecutor of the case is Serbian, the prosecutor of the preliminary procedure is Serbian, members of the fast reaction unit in northern Mitrovica are mostly Serbs, most of those arrested are Albanians, most of the fugitives are Albanians”, Svecla has said.