Banjska attack

Banjska attack
The attack site 2023
Date 24 September 2023 Location Banjska, Kosovo Result Kosovar victory[2] Kosovo Special Forces entered and recaptured Banjska Monastery[3][4][5] Heavy arsenal of weapons seized[5][6] Remaining militants withdrew to Serbia[7]
Belligerents
Kosovo	Serbian militants Supported by:  Serbia (claimed by Kosovo)[1]
Commanders and leaders
Vjosa Osmani Albin Kurti Xhelal Sveçla Gazmend Hoxha Amir Gërguri	Milan Radoičić (WIA)[8][9][10]
Units involved
Kosovo Police Kosovo Special Forces	Civilna Zaštita[11] Severna Brigada[12]
Strength
460 special forces (claimed by Serbia)[13]	30 militants[14] 26 SUVs 2 APCs[15]
Casualties and losses
1 killed[16][17] 2 injured[17][16]	3 killed[18][19][20] 8 captured[21][22] 2–6 injured[23][24] 3 drones seized[11][25] 2 ATVs seized[11][25] 2 APCs and 26 SUVs seized[14][11][25][26]

The Banjska attack (Albanian: Sulmi në Banjskë; Serbian: Напад у Бањској, romanized: Napad u Banjskoj) was an armed assault carried out by Serb militants against the Kosovo Police which took place in the village of Banjska located in North Kosovo on 24 September 2023.

Between 23 and 24 September 2023, Serb militants initiated an attack on Kosovo police as they responded to a situation where trucks lacking license plates were blocking a bridge in Banjska. This incident resulted in the death of Kosovar sergeant Afrim Bunjaku, who was posthumously honored with the Hero of Kosovo order. Subsequently, the attackers sought refuge within Banjska Monastery, which was eventually retaken by the Kosovo Police. During this operation, three of the militants were killed, and a significant cache of weaponry was confiscated. A total of eight people were subsequently apprehended, four of whom were later released. Notably, Serb List Vice-president Milan Radoičić was implicated and later admitted responsibility for the attack, leading to his subsequent arrest.

In the aftermath of the attack, Kosovo, Albania and the European Union, along with several other nations, issued condemnations. Kosovo, the European Union and European Parliament classified the incident as a terrorist attack.^[27][28][29] Kosovo's Assembly denounced the incident and called for an international inquiry into alleged Serbian state involvement, urging appropriate measures by Western nations. Furthermore, the buildup of Serbian military forces along the Kosovo border prompted regional widespread concern, with calls for de-escalation and the bolstering of NATO deployments. Kosovo alleged Serbian state involvement, presenting evidence of training on Serbian territory. Concurrently, the Kosovo Intelligence Agency confirmed reports of a Serbian base construction near the border.