Interpol issues arrest warrant for Kosovo Serb politician Radoicic

BELGRADE, Serbia

The International Police Organization (Interpol) has issued an arrest warrant for Kosovo Serb politician Milan Radoicic, who led the armed Serbian group that clashed with Kosovar police on Sept. 24, causing extreme tensions on the border between the two countries.

Kosovo's Minister of Communities Nenad Rasic on Thursday confirmed to Anadolu that Interpol has issued a red notice to Radoicic.

"A search warrant has been issued based on the request of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kosovo through the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)," said Rasic.

Local media reports that Radoicic is wanted in Kosovo for various crimes, including "terrorism."

Because Kosovo is not a full member of Interpol, it has made its request through the UNMIK.

On Sept. 24, a clash broke out in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo near the Serbian border when a group of armed Serbs blocked a bridge with two trucks. A shootout erupted after the group opened fire on police, leaving one police officer dead and another injured.

A large number of security forces were dispatched to the area, and the Brnjak border crossing between Kosovo and Serbia was closed.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti claimed that the armed Serbian group was led by Radoicic.

The area has been the scene of unrest since April, when local ethnic Serbs boycotted elections in northern Kosovo, followed by protests against the election of ethnic Albanian mayors.

Albanians are by far the largest ethnic group in Kosovo, followed by Serbs, with about half living in the country's north.

Amid the unrest over the elections, NATO peacekeepers were deployed, including a group of additional Turkish reinforcements.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and gained recognition from many countries, including Türkiye. But Belgrade has never recognized Kosovo and claims that its territory is still part of Serbia.