Kosovo Assembly Rocked by Explosive Device

Unknown assailants threw an explosive device at the Kosovo Assembly building late on Thursday evening, causing damage but no casualties.

“As a result of an attack from a distance with an explosive device, the Kosovo Assembly building sustained material damage but there are no reports of injuries,” said Kosovo Police spokesperson.

A powerful explosion was heard Thursday night at 11 pm in the center of the Prishtina.

Authorities later confirmed that the explosion happened at the parking lot of the Kosovo Assembly building.

Kosovo Police spokesman Daut Hoxha said that the building was attacked with an alleged explosive device. Apart from the Kosovo Police, KFOR units were also seen at the site.

“The Kosovo Police and other relevant units immediately headed towards the location to carry out operative and investigative procedures in order to identify the suspects involved in this case,” explained Hoxha.

The perpetrators fled the scene with a motorcycle that was later found incinerated at the Taukbahce park outside the city center.

On Thursday, Kosovo government ratified the draft law for the border demarcation with Montenegro. Opposition parties have been protesting against the deal, claiming that Kosovo will lose 8,000 hectares of land if the border demarcation is ratified.

After a heated debate between MPs and experts on Wednesday, opposition parties called for a protest on Thursday morning in front of the Assembly building. The peaceful protest ended quickly after the demarcation deal was not put on the Assembly’s agenda.

Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa called on the rule of law institutions to illuminate the case, while also inviting citizens to provide them with assistance.

“The attack against the Assembly building of the Republic of Kosovo, is an attack against our independence. The Assembly is the highest legislative body, a symbol of our state and democratic order. No one is permitted to terrorize the institutions of our state,” wrote Mustafa on Facebook.

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci also reacted the next day, condemning the attack by saying that “violence should not have a place in our Kosovo.”

“Although we do not know the names of the attackers, but we know that they are people who do not love Kosovo, do not want a European future for our citizens, and do not want that Kosovo children grow up in peace,” wrote Thaci, adding that he trusts the justice institutions fully to illuminate the case.

Daut Haradinaj, an MP of the opposition Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, and the brother of the opposition leader Ramush Haradinaj reacted immediately stating that the attack was “an attack against him and all of those who voted for him.”

“This needs to be urgently illuminated because it is obvious that somebody needs the instability of this country,” said Haradinaj.

05/08/2016 - 08:48

05 August 2016 - 08:48

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