Strikers in the north, structured and prepared”, imitated the Russian mercenary group “Wagner”

The group of armed men who attacked Kosovo Police members in the village of Banjska in the municipality of Zvecan is not a spontaneous but well-organised and well prepared structure, security affairs connoisseurs say.

Avni Islami, professor of security sciences in Pristina, estimates that “formation mimics the Russian mercenary group Wagner”, while Mentor Vrajolli from the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies says he has not been able to operate “pa the knowledge of Serbia authorities”.

A Kosovo Police member was killed and some were injured Sunday in clashes with an armed group in the northern part of the country, inhabited by Serb majority.

Authorities said the police sergeant, Afrim Bunnjak, died of injuries sustained during the attack.

In their view, armed attackers, about 30 of them, were stationed in the Banjsca monastery, where they exchanged shootings with law - enforcement agencies throughout Sunday.

Kosovo Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said three attackers were killed, while six other people, allegedly linked to them, were arrested.

According to Svechla, authorities also confiscated a large quantity of weapons.

Kosovo authorities held Serbia responsible for the attack, while official Belgrade Serb Kosovo.

What do security experts say?
Professor Islami tells Radio Free Europe that the armed group, which attacked police in Banjska, was a structured and well prepared formation.

According to him, the group did not function as isolated and self-organised, but as a formation of uniforms, with specific weapons and “with Serbia's security institutions”.

“Such uniforms resemble the [Russian] Wagner group. It seems that this structured group was also imitators of the Wagner” group, Islam says, referring to Russian mercenaries who participated in the war in Ukraine and other conflict areas.

Long weapons, military weapons, all are weapons used on the front line from the vicinity. These are enough to say that this terrorist group, linked to the Serbian state, has committed state terrorism in a foreign territory”, Islam says.

Vrajolli, from the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies, says that, given the way the attack was carried out in Banjska, it cannot be said that the formation committed a spontaneous act.

According to him, he acted orchestrated and planned to destabilise the northern part of Kosovo.

Such a thing, he says, could not happen without the knowledge of Serbia's authorities.

If we talk about how they're presented, it clearly shows that those persons are trained, prepared, received very expensive resources to operate. I think it is impossible that [Serbian authorities] do not have information. Now, the question is: Has the Serbian state directly been involved in this facility, or have it been radically mixed elements? This is hard to confirm. But once there are persons arrested, then information about who has prompted them to get organized will be found”, Vrajolli's conviction expressed.

What was said in Pristina?
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said the investigation process would provide more information on who the people of the “professional reform that attacked the police, how they entered and when they entered Kosovo, as well as who are the ambassadors and correcting the attack.

“Talk about a terrorist and criminal formation, a professional who has planned and prepared during what he has accomplished today and that does not represent a smuggling gang, but a mercenary structure, which is politically supported, financially and logistically from official Belgrade”, Kurti said.

Kosovo Minister of Internal Affairs Xhelal Svecla said it is the “terrorist group”.

According to him, some of the attackers are “Civil Protection participants” organisation which the Government of Kosovo declared terrorist in late June.

Speaking to Kosovo Radio Television, Svecla said the attack against the Kosovo Police has been carried out with the support of Serbia's “state” and pointed directly to Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq.

What was said in Belgrade?
Vuciq dismissed the Kosovo authorities' claims.

Speaking in a direct television address, he said Kosovo Serbs rebelled “, not wanting to put up with Kurti's terror” further.

Two out of three people killed by the group of attackers, Vuciq said, are from North Mitrovica.

“We are still checking to ensure that there are no false names”, he said.

The only player for what happened in Kosovo is Albin Kurti”, Vuciq said, and added that the attackers did not have Serbian army or police uniforms.

What did the international community say?
Mission NATO in Kosovo, KFOR, condemned the murder of police officer Africa Bunnjak and said he is willing to intervene if necessary.

US Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Havenier said he strongly condemns the violent and orchestrated “attacks against the Kosovo Police.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who also brokers talks between Kosovo and Serbia on normalising relations, said he has talked with leaders of both countries on Sunday.

Borrell, said in a communique of his office, called for restoring calm and stability.

Tensions in the North
The northern part of Kosovo, northern Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposaviq respectively, are inhabited by Serb majority.

The population there, influenced by official Belgrade and the structures operating under its leadership, does not abide by the decisions of Kosovo institutions.