In 2023, regarding local developments, Northern Kosovo in general and the case of the armed attack in Banjska in particular, are the main topics about which misinformation was spread in the Albanian and Serbian language information ecosystem.
north
In the first half of the year (January-June), there was misinformation about various topics in the north in the context of developments related to occasional tensions, as well as distortion of the situation regarding the condition of the Serbian community in that part of the country.
This can be attributed not only to developments related to this topic, but also to the fact that the Government of Kosovo has prioritized the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, where the north is a key part of the dialogue, as well as to debates on national television channels in Kosovo, which attach great importance to political debates and the north is an inevitable part of these debates by commentators and analysts of political events. Both of these elements directly or indirectly influence the creation and dissemination of misinformation about the north by Albanian-language media.
In addition, Serbian-language media also continuously publish misinformation about northern Kosovo, claiming without facts and without verifying the information that Serbian citizens in the north are discriminated against, intimidated and threatened by Kosovo state institutions.
The terrorist attack in Banjska
On September 24, 2023, the Kosovo Police were attacked by a group of masked and armed individuals. The attack took place in Banjska, Zveçan municipality, northern Kosovo. Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was killed in the attack and several other police officers were injured. Kosovo authorities later announced that three suspected attackers were killed in the exchange of fire.
After it became known that some of the Serbian attackers had been killed, several photos and videos began to circulate on social media claiming to identify the dead and their burial, as well as the arrest of other suspects (here, here)
In the wake of misinformation regarding the attack on Kosovo police in Banjska i Zvecan on September 24, several photographs of snipers have been published, falsely claiming to be from the Kosovo Police. (here, here)
There was various speculation regarding the number of members of the attacking group killed during the day of September 24. Various information portals have speculated on the number of attackers killed, publishing figures such as six, eight or ten.
The attack on the Kosovo Police in Banjska also took place in the Serbian-language media, which built their own disinformation narrative regarding the event.
During the time when the attack on the Kosovo Police took place and the developments that followed, there was no information in the media in Serbia.
Only after 20:00 PM did the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, address the public, saying that three Serbs from Kosovo were killed in the conflict, that the Serbian army and police did not participate in the attack, but that the Serbs rebelled, not wanting to suffer Kurti's terror anymore.
The next day and the day after (September 25-26), all newspapers close to the government in Serbia created a disinformation narrative regarding the event that unfolded on their front pages. The disinformation narrative was built on the front pages of the newspapers that “Kurti’s terrorists are killing Serbs”, “the event was staged”, “Kurti wants blood”, “the goal is the ethnic cleansing of Serbs from Kosovo”. (here)
Among the disinformation from Serbian officials was an audio recording, which was also mentioned by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić at a press conference on the evening of September 24, through which it was claimed that it was a conversation between Kosovo police officers about one of the Serbs injured during yesterday's developments, claiming that aid for the injured was intentionally left out, after a police officer utters the sentence: "Even if he dies, nothing." (here)
Vučić and Petković also claimed that the EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX, was not allowed to participate in the police operation in Banjska, a claim that was denied by the EU mission itself. (here)
In addition, the director of the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia, Petar Petkovic, falsely claims that among the Kosovo Police during the action in Banjska there were hired killers who intended to kill all Serbs, and that is why EULEX was not allowed to participate in this operation.