Kosovo Albanian official accuses Serbs

Kosovo Albanian Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi said that he believes that Friday’s fatal explosion in Kosovska Mitrovica can be attributed to Serb extremists. The Kosovo police, KPS, have stated that they have information on several suspects in the blast, but that they would not be releasing any information on them to the public yet. Kosovo Albanian official accuses Serbs Rexhepi claims that the preliminary results of the investigations point to Serb extremists being responsible for the blast, adding that they were armed during the protest that was held on Friday. “An intensive joint investigation is ongoing with the two EULEX public prosecutors and the regional Kosovo police. Witnesses have been interviewed in the investigation and we have a list of suspects, but it is too early to release it. We hope that the investigation will locate the perpetrators of this tragic incident as soon as possible and that they will be given the appropriate punishment,” Rexhepi said. Former chief of the Kosovo Coordination Center, Nebojsa Covic, said that the Serbian side must be very decisive at the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that was scheduled for Tuesday in light of the incident in Kosovska Mitrovica. “It was expected that the Albanian side would be transferring the blame, stating that Serb extremists are to blame, and that our side will say that it was Albanian terrorists, however, the moderate statement of the Serbian president was good, and he must come to the Security Council meeting with very clear facts and call for information to be presented regarding who is to blame for the crime,” Covic said. “Only the truth can help solve the problem. The political structures must pay attention to every wrong move, no matter who made it,” he said. The Serbian Council for National Security stated earlier that the incident was a “terrorist act of Albanian separatists” and that European Union special representative in Kosovo Pieter Feith should be held responsible for allow it to happen.

Kosovo Albanian official accuses Serbs

Rexhepi claims that the preliminary results of the investigations point to Serb extremists being responsible for the blast, adding that they were armed during the protest that was held on Friday.

“An intensive joint investigation is ongoing with the two EULEX public prosecutors and the regional Kosovo police. Witnesses have been interviewed in the investigation and we have a list of suspects, but it is too early to release it. We hope that the investigation will locate the perpetrators of this tragic incident as soon as possible and that they will be given the appropriate punishment,” Rexhepi said.

Former chief of the Kosovo Coordination Center, Nebojša Čović, said that the Serbian side must be very decisive at the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that was scheduled for Tuesday in light of the incident in Kosovska Mitrovica.

“It was expected that the Albanian side would be transferring the blame, stating that Serb extremists are to blame, and that our side will say that it was Albanian terrorists, however, the moderate statement of the Serbian president was good, and he must come to the Security Council meeting with very clear facts and call for information to be presented regarding who is to blame for the crime,” Čović said.

“Only the truth can help solve the problem. The political structures must pay attention to every wrong move, no matter who made it,” he said.

The Serbian Council for National Security stated earlier that the incident was a “terrorist act of Albanian separatists” and that European Union special representative in Kosovo Pieter Feith should be held responsible for allow it to happen.