On Tuesday afternoon, the body of a 33-year-old man was found in Lake Ujman in northern Kosovo, after he had been thrown from one of the bridges on Sunday.
The discovery of Rrahim Latifi's body was made by the Kosovo Security Force search and rescue team, in the rare cases when the Kosovo army violates the northernmost territory of the country inhabited by a Serb majority.
The Emergency Management Agency confirmed that it had asked the KSF to provide assistance after its structures had failed to find the body after two days of searching, writes A2 CNN.
Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, confirmed that the specialized diving and search and rescue units of the Kosovo Security Force were deployed in Zubin Potok only after agreement with KFOR.
"The Kosovo Security Force, within the framework of its essential tasks, also has the support of civil authorities. In this regard, in cooperation with the Emergency Management Agency, the Kosovo Police and in coordination with KFOR, specialized KSF teams have begun the search operation in Lake Ujman," said Acting Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci.
Meanwhile, the NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR, said that the KSF was given permission to advance north by Major General Enrico Barduani.
According to them, permission was granted for humanitarian reasons, while the operation took place under specific conditions set by KFOR, writes A2 CNN.
"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," the KFOR statement said.
Based on a 2013 commitment, the Kosovo army must not deploy to the four northern Serb-majority municipalities without prior authorization from KFOR. (A2 Televizion)
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