Nine Serbs have been arrested in the municipality of Zubin Potok, northern Kosovo, on suspicion of war crimes. The operation was carried out in the early hours as part of the "Dossier 23" operation, Kosovo police reported via local media.
According to police data, the operation was carried out by the Directorate for the Investigation of War Crimes with the support of other specialized units and on the orders of the Special Prosecutor's Office of Kosovo. “As a result of this operation, nine people suspected of committing the crime of “war crimes against the civilian population““ were arrested,“ the Kosovo authorities said in a statement.
The operation is related to the case known as “The Intellectuals Group“. In late July and August, human remains believed to belong to at least 23 people who went missing during the 1998-1999 Kosovo war were found in three villages in Zubin Potok.
On September 19, DNA analysis confirmed that the remains of three of the victims were members of the “Intellectuals Group“. In the same case, the Kosovo authorities are investigating three more suspects in war crimes against the civilian population, who are in pre-trial detention. In early September, another person from the municipality of Zubin Potok was detained on suspicion of involvement in war crimes.
Belgrade described the operation as “revenge“
The Serbian Office for Kosovo under the government in Belgrade said the police operation was related to “the expulsion of Serbs“. The office said it had contacted the families of those arrested to ensure they were provided with legal protection. Belgrade described the detentions as “revenge against Serbs“ and an attempt to divert public attention from the convictions of former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army in The Hague.
Zubin Potok is a predominantly Serb area in northern Kosovo. The investigation comes amid an ongoing search for people who went missing during the conflict. According to data cited by Kosovo media, over 1,600 people are still missing, most of them ethnic Albanians. Over 13,000 people died during the war.
Sources: BTA, Koha