Three Years Since the Terrorist Attack in Banjska

Today, September 24, marks three years since the terrorist attack in Banjska, when on September 24, 2023 an armed group from Serbia attacked the Kosovo Police in the north of the country.

In the battle with this criminal group, Kosovo Police sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was killed in the line of duty, while other police officers were wounded.

State officials of the Republic of Kosovo have called this attack an act of aggression by Serbia against the state of Kosovo.

Responsibility for organizing the attack was claimed through his lawyer by Milan Radoičić, former vice-president of the Serbian List, who remains free in Serbia.

The Special Prosecution of Kosovo, on September 11, 2024, filed an indictment against Milan Radoičić and 44 others for the September 24, 2023 terrorist attack in Banjska, Zvečan.

The Kosovo Special Prosecution’s indictment charges most of them with terrorism and grave crimes against the constitutional order and security of the Republic of Kosovo.

Radoičić is also accused of facilitating and financing the commission of terrorism and money laundering, while the entire group is accused of having, through the use of violence and heavy weapons, attempted to detach the northern part of Kosovo — where the Serb-majority municipalities are located — and annex it to Serbia.

The indictment describes Radoičić as the “leader of the terrorist group.”

So far, Vladimir Tolić, Blagoje Spasojević and Dušan Maksimović have been convicted in connection with this terrorist attack.

Vladimir Tolić and Blagoje Spasojević were sentenced to life imprisonment, while Dušan Maksimović received 30 years in prison.

But how did the attack in Banjska happen?

The indictment says that on September 24, 2023, after blocking the road to the village bridge with two trucks, Milan Radoičić and the other participants hid and attacked the Kosovo Police officers who came to remove the trucks and clear the road.

In the attack, officer Afrim Bunjaku was killed, while officers Alban Rashiti, Çlirim Shaqiri, Mirsad Kryeziu and Sedat Dushi were wounded.

According to the indictment, the attack lasted until 3:00 PM, “when the overwhelming majority of the group fled through mountain roads toward the Republic of Serbia.”

The indictment says they were “professionally trained” and had entered Kosovo illegally from Serbia, through mountain roads, with dozens of cars, some of them armored and loaded with heavy weapons, ammunition, rocket launchers, explosives, camouflage military uniforms and other military logistical equipment.