By Chris King • Updated: 06 Dec 2022 • 18:35
Five explosions rock northern Kosovo cities of Zubin Potok and Mitrovica
Large explosions have been heard in two cities in northern Kosovo this afternoon, Tuesday, December 6. This was confirmed by Kosovo Police, who said the blasts occurred in the municipalities of Zubin Potok and Mitrovica North.
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According to local Serbian media, two of the explosions were heard in Zubin Potok, while three more were reported in North Mitrovica. Both municipalities are inhabited by a majority of Serbs. Sirens were said to be sounding at around 3pm in Mitrovica, as reported by rtklive.com.
Serbian media sources reported that the explosions in Zubin Potok occurred at the time when members of the Municipal Electoral Commission, under the escort of members of the Kosovo Police, entered the premises of the municipal facility.
Previously, according to them, members of the Municipal Electoral Commission, in the presence of the Kosovo Police, tried to enter the headquarters of the Electoral Commission in this municipality.
The Central Election Commission confirmed for REL that the municipal election officials went to their offices in North Mitrovica and Zubin Potok on Tuesday, “in order to exercise official duties”, but that such a thing “was not possible”.
Without giving more details, they warned that they will hold a meeting “to discuss the situation created in the north of the country”. Elections are due to take place on December 18 in Zubin Potok, North Mitrovica, Zvecan, and Leposaviq, as announced by Vjosa Osmani, the President of Kosovo.
Lista Serbe – the largest party of Serbs in Kosovo, which is supported by official Belgrade – opposes these elections. The Director of the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia, Petar Petkovic, accused the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, of, as he said, “terror” against the Serbs.
In a post on Twitter, he published several photographs showing, as he said, the premises of the Municipal Electoral Commission in North Mitrovica, “destroyed by the special forces” of Kosovo.
Through a communique for the media, published earlier, Petkovic said that Kurti’s goal is to “violently and with weapons seize the four municipalities in the north” and “install Albanian representatives in them, through illegal and illegitimate elections”.
“Everything was planned and directed by Albin Kurti, while the EU-Western Balkans summit is being held in Tirana”, said Petkovic.
In a statement on its official Facebook profile, the police reported: “The Kosovo Police, according to its official duty and legal authorisations, is continuously engaged in the provision of security, maintaining public order and tranquillity as well as taking police measures to comfort the situation and developments across the country, including about the developments in North Mitrovica”.
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Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com
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