KFOR denies weapons smuggled in ambulances into North Kosovo

NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, on July 5 said it has no evidence that weapons are being smuggled from Serbia to Serbia Orthodox Churches in Kosovo in ambulances, differing from claims made by a UK MP, Alicia Kearns.

“There isn’t any evidence also regarding the alleged smuggling conducted across the Administrative Border Line between Kosovo and Serbia into Orthodox churches in ambulances,” KFOR announced on July 5, Balkan Insight reports.

KFOR said Kearns was likely referring to a case from 2022 “when the Royal Fusilier Battalion was employed in the North of Kosovo in support of KFOR Mission”.

“The alleged illegal weapon presence was reported to KFOR HQ, but after further investigation in order to find confirmation of that, no evidence has emerged of what was reported,” the press release read.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Wednesday said he would meet representatives of NATO and KFOR and Kosovo security bodies on the matter.

“After the meetings, we will be able to give the final word. Currently, we are gathering information. Within this week the matter will be known,” Kurti said.

Kearns told the British parliament on Tuesday that, “for too long we have failed to call out the armed Serb militias operating in the north of Kosovo”.

“The government are well aware, with the Fusiliers having only just returned from serving in KFOR, that there are weapons being smuggled across the border from Serbia into Orthodox churches in ambulances,” Kearns said.

She added: “When our troops become aware of that, and try to get permission to go and get them, the permissions take too long. By the time there is permission – quelle surprise – an ambulance has turned up at the church and taken all the weapons out again”.

BIRN contacted Kearns for comment after KFOR’s response but did not receive any response by the time of publication.

On May 29, Serbian protesters in northern Kosovo violently clashed with soldiers from KFOR and 30 soldiers and around 50 protesters were injured. Meanwhile, around 30 attacks against journalists have been recorded by the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, since the start of protests in the north on May 26.

On June 29, Kosovo declared two groups operating in the Serb-majority north of Kosovo Civilna Zastita (Civil Protection) and Brigada Sever (North Brigade) terrorist organisations. Kurti claimed that the formations have “recruited and trained members to use weapons and combat methods at military bases in Serbia with the purpose of carrying out attacks against local institutions and international missions in Kosovo”.

On June 24, Kosovo Police showed ammunition, uniforms and insignia, it seized one day earlier from a car with Belgrade license plates, parked around 100 metres from the municipality building in the Serb-majority municipality in Zvecan.

Kosovo Police Director Gazmend Hoxha said most of the ammunition had been produced in Serbia and some of the explosives looked similar to those used in the clashes between protesters and KFOR at the end of May in Zvecan.

On June 19, hundreds of Kosovo Serbs in northern Kosovo, led by medical workers, marched from North Mitrovica to Zvecan, where workers from the Trepca mine joined them, demonstrating against recent arrests of Serbs suspected of attacks on Kosovo journalists during the protests. So far, five Kosovo Serbs have been arrested for violent clashes with KFOR and attacks against journalists.

The EU has imposed measures against Kosovo to persuade it to do more to defuse tensions in Serb-majority northern Kosovo.

Brussels wants Pristina to suspend police operations near municipal buildings in the north which have been the focus of unrest after the police helped ethnic Albanian mayors elected in polls boycotted by Serbs to take office.

The EU wants the mayors to perform their duties in premises other than the municipal buildings, and for new elections to be held with the full participation of the Serbs.