Kosovo’s leading Serbian politician and businessman, Milan Radoicic, claimed responsibility for the attack carried out by a group of armed commandos in northern Kosovo five days ago. “I decided to do this because all the methods of resistance used so far have not brought any improvement in the lives of the Serbian people (in Kosovo, ed.),” he wrote in a statement that his lawyer read to the press in Belgrade today.
At the same time, he announced that he would resign as vice-president of the Serbian List, the Kosovo Serbs party. Where Radoicic is currently located is unknown. A 30-strong group of heavily armed Serbian commandos took up positions in the town of Banjska, near Mitrovica, last Sunday and engaged in battles with Kosovo police.
At least three Serb attackers and a Kosovar police officer were killed. In his statement, Radoicic stated that he carried out the action on his own initiative and did not inform any official body in Serbia about it. After the intense fighting, NATO announced that it would reinforce the KFOR protection force it led.