A year from the terrorist attack on Banjska, the monastery will be closed from September 23rd-26th.

The Diocese of Raska and Prizren has announced that the Monastery in Banjska will be closed for visitors from today to 26 September.

The announcement reportedly will be made “for security reasons and for preserving peace, which is currently of great importance to the” monastery.

Although it is not mentioned in the report, on September 24th it is one year from the armed attack of Serbian terrorists in Banjska in Zvecan.

After killing Sergeant Africa Bulnjak, Serbian terrorists had sheltered inside the monastery.

Recently, the Special Prosecutor has filed charges against 45 people concerning the September 24th 2023 attack, including Milan Radojciq.

The attack on Banjska was an armed attack by Serb terrorists against Kosovo special units that took place in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo on 24 September 2023. Kosovo Police Sergeant Africa Bunnjak was killed in this attack, and as a result, several Serb terrorists were killed.

The attack on the Kosovo Police was described as a terrorist attack by Kosovo, Albania and the European Union and was condemned by the United States of America.

The incident occurred during a period of increased tensions following the forced deployment of four mayors of Serb-run municipalities in May 2023 after boycotting elections by Kosovo Serbs and failing talks on the European Union-sponsored agreement between Kosovo and Serbia.

The area affected near Mitrovica is a major centre for Kosovo's ethnic Serb minority, with mostly housing in four municipalities.

In September 23rd-24, 2023, two license trucks were placed on a bridge at the entrance of the village of Banjska, blocking the road. According to Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq, the group that established the blockade consisted of Kosovo Serbs who “did not want to put up with the terror of (Kosovo Prime Minister) Kurti”. [28]

The blockade was reported to the police and in the early morning hours of September 24th. At around 2:30 p.m., three police units have arrived at the scene, with cases being attacked from various directions by an armed group of about 30 people, with various weapons, including grenades. [29] In the initial shooting, Kosovo police forces managed to repel the initial attack. [30] [31] Three Kosovo police officers were injured and transported to the regional hospital in South Mitrovica, one of them died on arrival.

After the host, the group of armed terrorists entered the Banjsca Monastery and were barricaded inside before being surrounded by special police units. A group of pilgrims from Novi Sad were at the monastery at the time of the attack. The monastery is part of the eparki of the Serbian Orthodox Church of Raska-Prizren. At 17:27, Kosovo's special units entered and occupied the monastery, ending the siege.

Jedal Svecla, Kosovo's Minister of Internal Affairs, said the village has been put under control after a few successive battles” during the day.

Kosovo authorities arrested two armed men and four other Serbs, who were found communication equipment near the site of the event and investigated for terrorism. They also confiscated vehicles used by attackers containing an arsenal of weapons, explosives, ammunition and other logistical means to support hundreds of people.

EULEX, the EU mission operating as the second security responser in Kosovo, was also at the scene.

Officially, 3 Serb militants were confirmed to have died in clashes. Xhelal Svecla, the interior minister of the Republic of Kosovo, has declared that at least 3 Serb militants have been killed and that more militants are likely to be killed. Serbian militants killed police sergeant Africa Bunnjak. He was honored after his death with the Kosovo Hero Order.