The raids recently carried out by the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo in its northern regions is an attempt to break the fragile peace and force the Serbs to leave their territory, Chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency and Bosnian Serb strongman Milorad Dodik said on Tuesday
BELGRADE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th May, 2019) The raids recently carried out by the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo in its northern regions is an attempt to break the fragile peace and force the Serbs to leave their territory, Chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency and Bosnian Serb strongman Milorad Dodik said on Tuesday.Earlier in the day, the Kosovar police conducted a special operation in Kosovo's northern regions, which are mainly populated by Serbs. At least 19 people were detained, according to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Mikhail Krasnoshchekov, a Russian employee with UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) was among those detained.
"The explanations, claiming that the operation in the north of Kosovo and Metohija [official name of Kosovo] serves to fight crime, are inadequate. You do not need to use special forces carrying automatic weapons and shake the entire population of Kosovo and Metohija if you want to detain several people," Dodik said, as cited by the local RTRS broadcaster.
He noted that police officers of Serbian origin were among those detained during the raid.
"They could have been peacefully detained at their workplaces if there were grounds [for their detention]. So it is clear that this is not about battling crime; it is a fight against the remaining Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and an attempt to force them to flee the area," he added.
In the meantime, the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Embassy in Serbia strongly condemned Kosovar police's actions, calling them "outrageous."
However, the president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, insisted that police detained the Russian national because he opposed the actions of law enforcement officers.
The north of Kosovo refuses to recognize the central power in Pristina, Kosovo's capital.
