Automatic gun fire opened at a group of Serbs cleaning the monastery courtyard in Binač – nobody is hurt in the attack

Diocese of Raška and Prizren (Serbian Orthodox Church) has most strongly condemned the armed attack on a group of Serbs who were cleaning the courtyard of the Binač Monastery near Kosovska Vitina today. According to the statement of the parish priest Fr. Zvonko Kostić, local Serbs every year gather at the ruins of St. Archangel Gabriel Monastery at Binač which was destroyed by Kosovo Albanian extremists in summer 1999, after the end of the armed conflict in Kosovo. Before the Feast of St. Gabriel the parishioners have to clean the monastery courtyard because local K/Albanians use the monastery grounds for dumping garbage and debris. Before the cleaning Fr. Zvonko had asked from the local Kosovo Police the security presence but his request was declined. Despite that, a group of 20 Serbs began this morning cleaning of the monastery courtyard. Around 12.00 automatic rifle fire was opened at them from one of the neighboring K/Albanian houses. Nobody has been hurt in the attack and the incident was reported to the Kosovo police.
Diocese of Raška and Prizren is taking this opportunity to appeal on the law enforcement to indentify the perpetrators of the incident and provide the local Serbs freedom of movement and celebration of their religious holidays.

Diocese of Raška and Prizren (Serbian Orthodox Church)

Prizren-Gračanica, 23 July 2016

(archive photo three years ago showing the garbage dumped at the site of the destroyed Monastery)

Photo showing how the monastery looked before the destruction. Since 1999 and the end of the Kosovo conflict 150 Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries have been either completely destroyed or damaged in Kosovo.