Kosovo Arrests Two Serb Suspects Over 1999 Massacre of 23 Albanian Civilians in Zubin Potok

 Kosovo authorities have arrested two ethnic Serb men suspected of committing war crimes against Albanian civilians during the 1998–1999 Kosovo War.

 Kosovo Police Special Forces deployed in northern Kosovo. Authorities in Zubin Potok arrested two ethnic Serb men suspected of participating in the April 19, 1999 massacre in Kalludra e Vogël, where 23 unarmed Albanian civilians were robbed and executed while attempting to flee to Montenegro.

According to Kosovo media, the suspects have been identified as Momir Jakshiq, 80, and Miljko Bishevaç, 65. Both were arrested in Zubin Potok, a Serb-majority municipality in northern Kosovo.

Investigation Focuses on 1999 Mass Killing

The arrests stem from an investigation by Kosovo Police's War Crimes Investigation Directorate into a deadly incident that allegedly took place on April 19, 1999.

According to investigators, a group of unarmed Albanian civilians attempting to flee toward Montenegro was stopped at a location known as Kalludra e Vogël, near Zubin Potok.

Authorities allege that the civilians were first robbed of their money and valuables before 23 of them were executed. Investigators say the victims' bodies were later buried near a river in the Kalludra e Vogël area.

Police Statement

In a statement, the Kosovo Police said the two men are suspected of committing crimes against the civilian population during the 1999 conflict.

"As a result of police actions, two Kosovo male suspects were arrested on suspicion of having committed crimes against the civilian population during the 1999 war, in which 23 Albanian civilians were killed. By decision of the prosecutor, the suspects have been placed in detention," the police said.

War Crimes Investigations Continue

The arrests are part of ongoing efforts by Kosovo authorities to investigate alleged war crimes committed during the conflict, which claimed thousands of lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

Investigations into wartime atrocities remain highly sensitive and continue more than two decades after the end of the Kosovo War, with prosecutors pursuing cases involving crimes against civilians regardless of when they occurred.

The two suspects are expected to face further legal proceedings as the investigation continues.