EULEX staff member killed near Zvecan

The person, member of the EULEX Customs Component, received a gunshot wound when two EULEX vehicles, carrying six staff members, came under fire from unknown persons in the vicinity of Zvecan at approximately 7.30 a.m. this morning. Director of the Health Center in Kosovska Mitrovica Milan Ivanovic told The press that the injured EULEX staff member was brought to hospital unconscious a little after 8 a.m. and doctors were doing CPR for almost an hour, but to no avail. A number of EULEX and Kosovo police vehicles are parked outside the hospital in Kosovska Mitrovica. The area where the incident took place has been sealed off and no effort will be spared in bringing the perpetrator to justice, EULEX said in a release. Czech Foreign Minister Kohout said that, according to the information he has received, a member of the Czech Republic Army was also wounded in the attack this morning, adding that the Czech Republic will insist on finding and punishing the perpetrators of this crime. Kohout said that today’s incident in northern Kosovo north shows that EULEX should stay in Kosovo in the same numbers as before. A EULEX staff member died after an incident that took place in the Municipality of Zvecan this morning. The person, member of the EULEX Customs Component, received a gunshot wound when two EULEX vehicles, carrying six staff members, came under fire from unknown persons in the vicinity of Zvecan at approximately 7.30 a.m. this morning. UNMIK Chief Farid Zarif condemned Thursday morning's attack on a EULEX convoy in the municipality of Zvecan in Kosovo, in which one EULEX staff member lost his life, UNMIK said in a release on Thursday. The UNMIK chief called for comprehensive cooperation with the authorities in order to ensure that perpetrators be brought to justice. “This abhorrent act of violence is a direct assault on the principles of peace, justice and civility that international missions are in Kosovo to serve. Any attack against representatives of the international community is an attack on the international community as a whole,“ he said. Zarif called on all members of the local communities to come forward with any information that will help the police and EULEX to swiftly identify and apprehend the individuals responsible "for this cowardly act." He also urged everyone to avoid speculation about the motives or identities of those responsible and let the investigators do their work. The United Nations in Kosovo offers its full support to EULEX and local law enforcement to ensure those responsible are brought to justice, Zarif said in the release. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy has condemned in the strongest terms the attack on a EULEX vehicle that led to the death of one staff member Thursday morning. Ashton said in a statement on Thursday that she “was deeply saddened by the death of the Lithuanian member of EULEX staff in northern Kosovo this morning.” The European foreign policy chief said that the perpetrators must be brought to justice. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen fiercely condemned the attack on EULEX members early on Thursday which left one officer dead, and he also warned that the use of violence is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. In a release for the media, Rasmussen expressed deepest condolences to the late EULEX officer's family and closest friend, as well as the Lithuanian government and people. The NATO secretary general stated that KFOR and EULEX will continue cooperating in setting up a safe environment and ensuring freedom of movement in Kosovo. A member of the EULEX Customs Component died after he received a gunshot wound when unknown persons ambushed EULEX vehicles in the vicinity of Zvecan in northern Kosovo Thursday morning. Kosovska Mitrovica District Head Radenko Nedeljkovic condemned in the strongest terms Thursday's murder of a EULEX Mission member, and urged the authorities to find the perpetrators. “This act of terrorism was carried out by people whose goal is to destabilize north Kosovo and to force EULEX Mission to leave Kosovo,” Nedeljkovic said in a written statement. He called on competent security services to shed light on this incident as soon as possible and thus avoid political manipulations about the motive and perpetrator of this gruesome crime. Two EULEX vehicles, carrying six staff members, came under fire from unknown persons in the vicinity of Zvecan, north Kosovo, on Thursday morning. One staff member succumbed to wounds. Head of the EULEX Mission Bernd Borhart and Head of the EU Office in Pristina Samuel Zbogar stated on Thursday that they are shocked by the attack on EULEX officials near Zvecan, which left one customs officer dead. During a joint address to the media with Zbogar, Borhart said that this was a ambush murder, and fiercely condemned the cowardly violence. According to him, the murdered customs officer came from Lithuania and he will be mourned by his wife and children. The Police Service of Kosovo and EULEX are currently conducting a mixed investigation and Borhart welcomed the assistance offered by the police and politicians from Belgrade, Radio Free Europe reported. The case falls under exclusive jurisdiction of the Kosovo Special Prosecutor's Office, he said. The attack on EULEX is an attack on the EU and all that the EU is striving to achieve in terms of peace, security and rule of law, Zbogar said. Unidentified individuals fired at two EULEX vehicles near Zvecan early on Thursday, and one EULEX member died from the wounds.