The Banjska attack (, ) was a terrorist attack carried out by Serb militants against the Kosovo Police. The attack occurred in the village of Banjska located in North Kosovo on 24 September 2023.
Between 23 and 24 September 2023, Serb militants initiated an attack on Kosovo police as they responded to a situation where trucks lacking license plates were blocking a bridge in Banjska. This incident resulted in the death of Kosovar sergeant Afrim Bunjaku, who was posthumously honored with the Hero of Kosovo order. Subsequently, the attackers sought refuge within Banjska Monastery, which was eventually retaken by the Kosovo Police. During this operation, three of the militants were killed, six apprehended and a significant cache of weaponry was confiscated. Notably, Serb List Vice-president Milan Radoičić was implicated and later admitted responsibility for the attack, leading to his subsequent arrest.
In the aftermath of the attack, Kosovo, Albania and the European Union, along with several other nations, issued condemnations. Kosovo's Assembly denounced the incident and called for an international inquiry into alleged Serbian state involvement, urging appropriate measures by Western nations. Furthermore, the buildup of Serbian military forces along the Kosovo border prompted regional widespread concern, with calls for de-escalation and the bolstering of NATO deployments. Kosovo alleged Serbian state involvement, presenting evidence of training on Serbian territory. Concurrently, the Kosovo Intelligence Agency confirmed reports of a Serbian base construction near the border.
Background
The terrorist attack in Banjska occurred within a context of increased tensions in the region. After the decision of Prime Minister Albin Kurti to block all Serbian license plates with the letters KM (Kosovska Mitrovica) within the Republic of Kosovo, citing constitutional concerns, Kosovo Serbs working in the public sector, including the mayors of four municipalities in northern Kosovo, resigned in protest. After the boycott of the mayors and administrative staff, new elections were scheduled. In November 2022, President Vjosa Osmani set December 18 as the date for new elections in the four municipalities in northern Kosovo. However, after new clashes erupted in northern Kosovo, Osmani decided to postpone the mayoral elections, originally scheduled for 18 December, until April 2023. This decision received support from European Union (EU) ambassadors.
In the days leading up to the rescheduled elections, the main political party in Serb-dominated northern Kosovo, the Serb List, called on the Serb community not to vote, resulting in a boycott of local elections by Serbs in the area who demanded more autonomy. Despite the boycott, a few Kosovo Serbs and the local minority of Albanians in northern Kosovo participated in the elections. Due to the boycott, all four newly elected mayors in the northern municipalities came from Albanian parties. Following the elections, members of the Kosovo Serb community staged protests in front of municipal buildings in northern Kosovo, expressing their discontent with the newly elected mayors. These protests were closely monitored by the Kosovo Police, the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), and NATO peacekeeping forces. Confrontations transpired between KFOR troops and Kosovo Serb protesters, resulting in injuries sustained by both military personnel and demonstrators.
Attack
Between 23 and 24 September 2023, two trucks without licence plates were placed on a bridge at the entrance to the village of Banjska, blocking the road. The blockade was reported to the police in the early morning hours of 24 September. At around 2:30 (CET) three police units arrived at the scene, whereupon they were attacked from different directions by an armed group of about 30 men, with a variety of weapons, including grenades. In the initial shootout, the Kosovar police forces managed to repel the initial attack. Three Kosovar policemen were wounded and transported to the regional hospital in south Mitrovica, but one of them died upon arrival.