Armed individuals who attacked Kosovar police are local Kosovo Serbs: Serbian president

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Sunday said that armed individuals who attacked Kosovar police were not from Serbia and are local Kosovo Serbs.

Earlier, a police officer was killed and another injured in a clash between a patrol unit of police and a group of armed ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo.

Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti had claimed that organized criminal groups, with political, financial, and logistical support of Belgrade, were behind Sunday’s attack.

Vucic condemned the killing of the Kosovar policeman and said that three ethnic Serbs were killed in clashes and that there is a possibility that one more may die.

Earlier, police said in a statement that a group of armed Serbs blocked a bridge leading to Banjska village, located near the city of Mitrovica, with two trucks lacking license plates.

A shootout erupted after the group opened fire on police who went to the scene to investigate the issue.

A large number of security forces were dispatched to the region, and the Brnjak border crossing point between Kosovo and Serbia was closed.

Serbia and Kosovo face many disputes as Belgrade sees its neighbor as its territory and has blocked its efforts to join international organizations and obtain recognition from other states.

The leaders of the two nations met in EU-facilitated talks in Brussels to normalize relations. But, the parties have so far struggled to implement the agreements reached.