Kosovo Uncovers Three Mass Graves in Zubin Potok Region

Kosovo authorities have uncovered the remains of 11 people across three suspected mass grave sites in the Serb-majority municipality of Zubin Potok, including the villages of Jabuka and Kalluder e Vogel. Albin Kurti, acting as Prime Minister, stated that the victims were likely 23 Albanians, including intellectuals and activists, who were violently abducted and executed in April 1999.

Excavations in Jabuka revealed four remains exhumed from a lime pit. These remains, along with others found at nearby sites, have been sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for DNA analysis, a process prosecutors warn could take months. In connection with these discoveries, police arrested three local men on suspicion of war crimes, with the Pristina Basic Court ordering the pre-trial detention of one suspect to prevent flight and witness tampering.

The investigation is unfolding amid heightened tensions between Pristina and Belgrade. Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla accused the Government of Serbia of obstructing the search for wartime graves by withholding information and intimidating witnesses, citing the recent arrest of a Kosovo citizen on espionage charges as a tactic to hinder the probe.