Between 23 and 24 September 2023, Serb militants initiated an attack on Kosovo police as they responded to a situation where trucks lacking license plates were blocking a bridge in Banjska.

[28][29][30] Kosovo's Assembly denounced the incident and called for an international inquiry into alleged Serbian state involvement, urging appropriate measures by Western nations.

Furthermore, the buildup of Serbian military forces along the Kosovo border prompted regional widespread concern, with calls for de-escalation and the bolstering of NATO deployments.

[17][40][42][16] After the ambush, the group of armed men entered the 14th century Banjska Monastery[43] and barricaded themselves inside before being encircled by Kosovar security forces.

[47][48] Vehicles utilised by the attackers were impounded, revealing an extensive arsenal of firearms, explosives, ammunition and logistical support capable of sustaining a group numbering in the hundreds.

[38] During the search of the monastery and associated vehicles, authorities uncovered maps and detailed plans, indicative of a meticulously organized, long-term operation.

[47] The items encompassed rocket launchers, a heavily armored vehicle, 24 automobiles, two 4×4 motorcycles, 150 explosives, three drones, 30 AK-47s, six machine guns, 29 mortars, and over 100 military uniforms.

[56] On 26 September, Kosovo Police unveiled drone video evidence implicating Serb List Vice-president Milan Radoičić as being part of the militant group.

[64] On 11 September 2024, Kosovar authorities charged Radoičić and 44 others with violating constitutional and legal order, terrorist activity and financing and money laundering related to the attack.

[74][75] The resolution strongly denounced the assault as a "terrorist attack", lamenting the death of sergeant Afrim Bunjaku and emphasising the compelling necessity for a thorough international inquiry into Serbian involvement.

[75] Prime Minister Kurti also issued an appeal to Western nations, urging them to enforce punitive measures against Serbia and actively facilitate the extradition of the assailants to Kosovo.

[76] On 12 October, the parliament unanimously approved the resolution, endorsing Albania's constitutional institutions to actively engage in the ongoing international community-led investigative efforts.

[77] On 19 October, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the incident, condemning what it described as a terrorist attack, while also scrutinizing the Serbian government's stance towards Kosovo and its Western allies.

[78] It called for measures against the Serbian government, encompassing the possibility of freezing financial support and implementing targeted sanctions in case of confirmed state involvement.

[79] The document also delved into the matter of military build-up, the formulation of containment strategies, early local elections, and the need for reconciliation and the integration of Kosovo's Serb community.

[81][82] Kurti later disclosed that the "terrorist attack" was part of a broader plan aimed at "annexing the northern territories of Kosovo", with the intention of "establishing a corridor to Serbia" for the supply of weapons and troops.

Sveçla implicated high-ranking Serbian officials, including Vučić, Defense Minister Miloš Vučević and commander Milan Mojsilović, in the training of the attackers.

[81] On 30 September, the government of the United States officially noted an unusually high presence of Serbian military forces positioned along the Kosovo border.

[84] In response, John Kirby, the National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, called on Serbian authorities to de-escalate the situation and characterized the deployment as "destabilizing".

[84][85] Kosovo President Osmani, expressed a strong commitment to closely collaborate with the US on that issue and other NATO allies in addressing "security challenges and protecting hard-won freedoms".

[92] Later, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius declared that he had no immediate plans to send additional forces, stating that they are closely monitoring the situation and will "act swiftly if necessary".

[50][96] Kurti additionally assigned responsibility to "Serbian-state supported troops" for what he described as "terrorist attacks"[96] and accused Serbia of plotting to stage a scenario similar to the Bosnian War in the 1990s that enabled the creation of a Serb-dominated entity within the country.

[97] Both Kurti and Dan Ilazi, head of research at the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies, noted that the weapons and equipment used by the attackers were unavailable in the open market and difficult to acquire without high-level connections, possibly within the Serbian government.

[99] Another relative of Bunjaku called Kurti to join the negotiations with Serbia and withdraw the police from the north of Kosovo to prevent further loss of life.

[103] The Eparchy of Raška and Prizren of the Serbian Orthodox Church condemned the attack and violence in the monastery, expressing condolences to the families of the killed and wounded policemen.

[104] President Vučić condemned the killing of what he called an "Albanian police officer" and accused Prime Minister Kurti of being "the sole culprit" for the event and said that "the people fell for the provocations".