A patrol of the EU police and judicial mission in Kosovo (EULEX) was attacked on Saturday night with a stun grenade in the vicinity of the town of Rudare, an event that ended without casualties or material damage, amid the escalation of tensions in the area.
«We confirm that a stun grenade was thrown during last night of December 10 at a EULEX reconnaissance patrol near Rudare. No EULEX Police unit officers were injured and no material damage was reported,» the mission said.
Thus, it has stressed that «this attack, as well as attacks against Kosovo Police officers, are unacceptable.» «We strongly condemn violent acts perpetrated by armed individuals in northern Kosovo, including those perpetrated against the international community,» it added.
«EULEX will continue to work with determination to support the stability of Kosovo, within its mandate, and contribute to the security of its population in all communities. We call on those responsible to avoid further provocative actions and call on Kosovo’s institutions to bring those responsible to justice,» he concluded.
The event was condemned by the EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, who stressed that «the EU will not tolerate attacks against EULEX or the use of violent and criminal acts in the north (of Kosovo)».
«Barricades must be removed immediately by Kosovo Serb groups. Calm must be restored. EULEX will continue to coordinate with the Kosovo authorities and NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR). All actors must avoid escalation,» he said.
For her part, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu «strongly» condemned the incident and said that such attacks «are unacceptable.» «Those responsible must be held accountable,» she said, while stressing that KFOR «remains extremely vigilant and fully capable of carrying out its mandate, given by the United Nations.»
«We call on all parties to avoid provocative actions and rhetoric and to contribute to calm and stability,» he said, following several nights of violent incidents and the erection of barricades by the Kosovo Serb population in the area.
Also the US Embassy in Serbia and Kosovo has expressed its «deep concern» about the current situation and called for the lifting of the barricades «immediately».
«We expect an end to all threats of violence and intimidation and strongly condemn as unacceptable all attacks against Kosovo and international security agencies,» the note said.
«We call on all to exercise maximum restraint, to take immediate steps to bring about a de-escalation of the situation and to refrain from provocative acts,» it added.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced Saturday that he will ask NATO to deploy the Serbian army and police in Kosovo, an unprecedented request since the end of the war in Kosovo more than 20 years ago, which came hours after the announcement of the postponement of local elections in the Serb-majority areas of northern Kosovo and the raising of Kosovo Serb barricades that have provoked the intervention of the Kosovar police at the border.
