Serbian Interior Minister Blames Unrest In Mitrovica On Kosovo Prime Minister

BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th October, 2021) Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin says Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti was responsible for the recent skirmishes in the northern region of the self-proclaimed republic, the Serbian ministry said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, local Serbian population clashed with Kosovo police in the city of Mitrovica after law enforcement officers launched an anti-smuggling operation, raiding pharmacies and stores. As a result, several people were injured, and Kosovo authorities deployed special police units to control the situation.

"(Kosovo Prime Minister) Kurti and his supporters are to blame for everything that is going on in Kosovo," Vulin said in a statement.

The Serbian authorities have held talks with different Kosovar Albanian leaders, who all took responsibility for their actions, with the exception of Kurti, the minister noted.

"Kurti cares neither about Kosovar Albanians, nor Serbs. These Kosovar Albanian special forces could all have been killed yesterday, not to mention how many Serbs could have been murdered, but this does not bother him," Vulin said, adding that a Serbian protester was shot and severely wounded in yesterday's clashes.

The condition of the shot Serb was stable and he was receiving intensive treatment, the city's Clinical Hospital Center told Sputnik earlier on Thursday. Following the protests, a total of 10 Serbs were admitted to the hospital with injuries, and two of them were hospitalized.