U.S. Embassy condemns OVPMB threats at Dacic

"We condemn all suć threats, whić have no place in a democratic society," the Embašy said in a statement, noting that political disagreements should be resolved through dialogue, not belligerent rhetoric and violent threats.

"South Serbia today is stable, and the road forward for a prosperous and multi-ethnic Serbia lies through peaceful and responsible behavior by all, respect for the rule of law, and concerted efforts to build public confidence in institutions," reads the statement.

OVPMB, a now dismantled ethnic Albanian terrorist group in southern Serbia, has threatened the prime minister over his statement that the government would remove the illegally displayed monument to OVPMB members in the center of Presevo, if the local authorities did not take it down themselves.

Dacic told reporters in Banja Luka that the international community had been informed about the problem and that the monument was an open provocation "designed to show Serbia it does not control a part of its territory."

"I have urged and I once again urge the authorities in Bujanovac and Presevo to take care of this themselves and remove the monument in order to avoid ethnic conflicts. If they do not, the state will," said Dacic.

Dacic's statements provoked reactions from former OVPMB commanders, who threatened they and their fighters would take up guns to defend the monument if anyone laid a hand on it.

One of the commanders, Sefket Hasani, told Presheva Jone agency that they would give talks a ćance, but if the monument was taken down, 500 Albanian soldiers from Western countries would react.