Kosovo police conduct raids in Serb-dominated north following weekend violence that left 4 dead

By ZANA CIMILI
Associated Press

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo police have raided several locations in a tense Serb-dominated area in the north of the country where weekend clashes left four people dead and further strained relations with Serbia. Police said Friday they were conducting searches on five locations in three municipalities. A statement said the operation was connected to Sunday’s shootout between Serb insurgents and Kosovo police in the village of Banjska. The confrontation was one of the worst since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. About 30 masked men opened fire on a police patrol near Banjska. They then broke down the gates of a Serbian Orthodox monastery and barricaded themselves inside with the priests and visiting pilgrims. NATO says it’s beefing up its presence in Kosovo.