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Attack with Molotov cocktails near the police region in North Mitrovica

2023-06-17 12:24:20, Kosova & Bota CNA

Two explosions with Molotov bombs occurred in the late hours of Friday in North Mitrovica, confirmed by the Kosovo Police for Radio Free Europe.

The regional deputy director for the north, Veton Elshani, said that one explosion occurred near the police station and another near the Technical School.

"Two explosions occurred last night, one near the police station in North Mitrovica and another in the city, near the Technical School. There is no damage, there are no injuries and the police have been in the north at the top of their duties in sufficient and necessary numbers, as always," said Elshani.

Elshani said that as for other municipalities in the north, on Saturday the situation is calm and in Leposavic there is a small number of protesters.

Even in the early hours of June 16, the police station in North Mitrovica was the target of an attack with Molotov bombs. Also, the police station in Zveçan was attacked with grenades.

These attacks with Molotov cocktails are happening at a time when tensions in the north of Kosovo - inhabited by a majority of Serbs - have increased.

The tensions started on May 26, when the new Albanian mayors of the municipalities in the north, under the assistance of the Kosovo Police, entered the municipal buildings, amid the opposition of the local Serbs.

Tensions culminated on May 29, when in Zveçan, Serbian protesters clashed with members of the NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR. Dozens of people from both sides were injured in the clashes.

Also, on June 13, the Kosovo Police carried out an action in North Mitrovica, where they arrested Millun Millenkovic. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Xelal Sveçla, said that the arrested person is suspected of being one of the organizers of the events in Zveçan on May 29.

A day after that, three members of the Kosovo Police were arrested by Serbian forces in the north of the country, an action that the Government of Kosovo described as kidnapping. For them, the Serbian authorities have imposed a detention measure of 30 days./ REL