Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, speaking on the first anniversary of the Banjska incident in northern Kosovo, accused Serbia of orchestrating a "terrorist attack" with the intent to provoke war in both Kosovo and the wider Balkans.

The attack occurred on September 24, 2023, when Serb militants launched an assault in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo, killing a Kosovo police officer.

The assailants then took refuge in the Banjska monastery, prompting a swift response from Kosovo police. In the ensuing operation, police regained control of the monastery, killing three militants and seizing a large cache of weapons. Kosovo’s Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla reported that around 80 gunmen, believed to be ethnic Serbs, had crossed into Kosovo from Serbia in armoured vehicles that day.

Earlier this month, Kosovo’s Special Prosecutor's Office indicted 45 individuals in connection with the terrorist attack in Banjska last year.

Among those indicted is Milan Radoicic, a key figure believed to be one of the main organisers of the attack. Radoicic, the former deputy leader of the Serb List party in Kosovo, had previously claimed full responsibility for the incident, stating that he acted independently without informing the authorities in Belgrade.

However, Kurti urged Serbia to take responsibility for the event and demanded the extradition of Radoicic and his associates to face justice in Kosovo.

In a Facebook post on September 24, Kurti wrote: "Serbia is responsible, and Serbia must answer for this." He appealed for backing from the global community to hold those responsible accountable.

Kurti also commemorated Kosovo police officer Afrim Bunjaku, who was killed during the incident. In recognition of his sacrifice, the government has decided to name a street in Banjska in his honour, as a symbolic act of resistance against terrorism.

Bunjaku, Kurti said, "fell in the line of duty while fighting against terrorists of Milan Radoicic's group, trained in Serbia and financed by Belgrade."

The prime minister said that Kosovo faces no internal threats that jeopardise its security or stability, and reaffirmed the government’s dedication to safeguarding the democratic and independent Kosovo.

He revealed that during September and October of last year, the Kosovo police confiscated 105 weapons, the majority of which were manufactured in Serbia.