Senior KPS Serb police officer wounded

ERP KiM Newsletter 29-09-05

Second attack on Serb members of Kosovo police Service in this month

Kosovo Police Service Colonel wounded - A Serb with highest rank in KPS

BETA News Agency, Belgrade, September 28, 2005 (20.09 hrs)

Commander of the regional headquarters of the KPS (Kosovo Police Service) in Gnjilane, Col. Dejan Jankovic (1975) from Strpce was wounded this evening near Stari Kacanik (Southern Kosovo), it was confirmed to BETA News Agency from the Regional KPS in Urosevac.

From the operative center of the regional police in Urosevac it was confirmed to BETA that Jankovic, who was transported to Pristina hospital, was wounded in his arm and that his life is not in danger.

The Center refrained from disclosing other details, but according to Serbian sources, Col. Jankovic received wounds in his arm on the Partisan road near Stari Kacanik village when unknown attacker(s) ambushed his police vehicle. Beside Col Jankovic his driver Novica Stojanovic was not injured.

Colonel Jankovic was attacked in the area which is exclusively inhabited by Kosovo Albanians.

Jankovic was born in 1975 and on Sep. 14 he was appointed a regional commander of the Kosovo Police Service in Gnjilane and has the highest rank among all Serbs in KPS.

A special unit of KPS from Gnjilane has immediately begun an investigation.

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Attack on Serbian KPS Commander raises fear in Serbian enclaves in Kosovo

KIM Info-service, September 29, 2005

The last night attack on KPS regional commander from Gnjilane, Col. Dejan Jankovic, has additionally increased tension and fears in Serb enclaves. Not long after the murder of two Serb youths near Urosevac and wounding of a Serb police officer in that area the latest attack has clearly demonstrated that the freedom of movement in Kosovo does not exist even for those Serbs who work in UN sponsored Kosovo Police Service.

Despite all promises by the highest UN and KPS officials that "a stone will not remain unturned" until the murderers of two Serb young men who were shot near Urosevac a month ago, the criminals are still at large and continue targeting even Serbs in Kosovo Police Service. Regrettably, this course of events proves that not only KPS but also the international police in Kosovo are not capable of finding efficient way to control rapidly deteriorating security situation in the volatile Province. At the eve of future status talks the impunity of criminals in Kosovo remains one of the most serious obstacles for tracing a future towards a stable and prosperous society.