The NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR, confirmed that it has authorized the Kosovo Security Force to deploy search and rescue teams to Lake Ujman. The authorization, as stated in the announcement, was given by Commander Enrico Barduani.
KFOR said that the authorization was given for humanitarian reasons and that the operation is taking place under specific conditions set by this mission – which will also provide security throughout the operation.
“The KSF’s engagement in this case is in line with its initial mandate, which includes assistance to local communities in cases of natural disasters and search and rescue operations,” KFOR said.
The Kosovo Security Force’s specialized search and rescue teams are conducting an operation to find a person suspected of drowning on Sunday, July 27, in Lake Ujmani. The individual is a 33-year-old who was reported to have jumped from the bridge.
The search has so far been conducted solely by the Kosova Police and the Kosovo Search and Rescue Association. The KSF joined the teams on the third day of the search. This was done only after coordination with the NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR.
The deployment of KSF troops in the north inhabited by a majority of Serbs can only be done with the prior consent of KFOR, based on a commitment made in 2013 by the Kosovo Government and NATO.
Ujmani is located in Zubin Potok – one of four northern municipalities of Kosovo, inhabited by a Serb majority.
Acting Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, said earlier Tuesday that KSF members are engaged in supporting civil authorities in this case.
“The Kosovo Security Force, within the framework of its essential duties, also has the support of civil authorities. In this regard, in cooperation with the Emergency Management Agency, the Kosova Police, and in coordination with KFOR, the specialized teams of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) have started the search operation in Lake Ujman with the aim of retrieving the body of our compatriot as soon as possible and easing the pain of the family,” Maqedonci wrote on Facebook.
The Kosovo Security Force is undergoing its transformation into an army, a process that is expected to be completed by 2028./KosovaPress
