Witness Halim Behramaj, an investigative police officer in the traffic unit of Mitrovica, is currently being heard before the judicial panel.
The witness for the Special Prosecutor’s Office stated that around 2:00 a.m., via radio communication, they were informed that a barricade had been set up in the village of Banjska.
In response to questions from the special prosecutor, Naim Abazi, Behramaj said that in his 21 years of work experience in the Kosovo Police, he had never encountered such an attack.
“Also, after two or three minutes, I, along with my colleague Avni Shala, positioned ourselves behind them. About 500-600 meters before entering the village of Banjska, after checking, we continued toward Banjska. There were three police vehicles. In the second vehicle were corporal Afrim Bunjaku and Elez Peci, while in the third vehicle were me and Avni Shala. Upon arriving at Banjska, the first vehicle stopped near the barricade, then the second and third vehicles 30 meters away from the barricade. Also, near the barricade was a vehicle from the border unit—a Toyota. We got out of the cars, the police in the first vehicle had just arrived at the barricade when police officer Elez Peci warned us that there could be danger, and we began to disperse. The place where the barricade was located and where we were standing was fully lit, while the village of Banjska was in complete darkness. As we started to disperse, a large explosion was heard immediately. The police who were closer to the barricade barricaded themselves near it. Meanwhile, Avni Shala and I returned behind our vehicle and barricaded ourselves behind it as a shield. At the same time as the explosion, gunfire was heard. We immediately realized we were not dealing with a simple criminal group, because the position from which they were shooting and the weapons they had made us understand it was an organized group. I noticed corporal Afrim Bunjaku lying on the road. We were about 30 meters away and it was impossible for us to approach,” he said.
Before the judicial panel, he said that from the gunfire, they understood it was an organized group and that the weapons were of different calibers.
“Based on the weapons used, which from the noise you could tell were of different calibers, there was also gunfire with heavier weapons. The positions where they were placed, the darkness in the village made us understand it was an organized group, aiming to cause the greatest possible harm,” he said.
When asked by prosecutor Naim Abazi if he felt harmed in this case, witness Behramaj said he felt harmed by the killing of corporal Afrim Bunjaku.
“The nature of police work is such that we face various dangers. I feel harmed that my colleague Afrim Bunjaku was killed. Personally, I do not feel harmed,” he said.
The Special Prosecutor’s Office of Kosovo on September 11, 2024, filed an indictment against Milan Radoičić and 44 others for the terrorist attack on September 24, 2023, in Banjska, Zvečan, where police corporal Afrim Bunjaku was killed.
The accused are charged with the criminal offenses of committing a terrorist act, serious crimes against the constitutional order and security of the Republic of Kosovo, facilitation and financing of terrorism, and money laundering.
