Police officer Elez Peci testified on Thursday before the Basic Court in Pristina regarding the September 24, 2023, incident in Banjska, Zvečan, where Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was killed. Peci described the assault as a “typical military attack,” directly financed by Serbia, and recounted the harrowing experience of extracting Sergeant Bunjaku’s body under continuous, powerful explosions and gunfire.
“The attack that happened against us was a typical military attack, very well trained. I have never in my life faced such an attack, and it was very well financed. Because the weaponry that was there cannot be bought on the market. So, it was directly financed by Serbia,” the witness stated, as reported by “Betimi për Drejtësi.”
Chronology of the Ambush
Peci testified that on the critical day, he was notified via radio by the Rapid Intervention Unit that two trucks filled with sand had been placed on the bridge of Banjska village, blocking the entrance.
“Around 2:30 AM, through radio communication, the command room was notified by the border rapid intervention unit that in Banjska village, at the entrance of the village, precisely on the bridge, two trucks had been placed, meaning the entrance was blocked, and these trucks were filled with sand,” the witness said.
Peci, along with the late Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku, Fahri Shala, and Sadet Dusha, set off in Toyota and Skoda police vehicles. On their way to Banjska, they spotted a “Golf 3” car. Upon inspection, they found a police radio antenna on the passenger seat. Despite this suspicious finding, they recorded the person’s details and proceeded, aware that their colleagues were in Banjska village.
The Intense Attack and Evacuation
Upon reaching Banjska, Peci sensed something was wrong. “When we got near Banjska, not too close to the trucks, precisely about 20 meters, we stopped our vehicles on the left side of the road, one by one. And we continued towards our colleagues, who were behind the trucks monitoring the situation. During the journey, I noticed that something was not right; I saw that the village was very dark, with little light, while the road we were on had very strong lighting,” he added.
Peci told his colleagues to disperse, suspecting an ambush. “When we got close to our colleagues at the border, about 2-3 meters, I became suspicious and said: ‘Let’s disperse, it might be an ambush,'” Peci recounted.
As they moved towards the stream known as “Reka e Banjskës,” a very strong detonation occurred, which “threw me off balance.” This explosion was immediately followed by gunfire from various calibers. Peci described returning fire but noted that they were severely outmatched in both numbers and weaponry.
He then described the difficult process of moving Sergeant Bunjaku’s body amidst continuous gunfire. “At that moment, when I put my hands on the sergeant’s arm, my hands got hot, and I noticed it was blood. I removed it, saying: ‘Lest I injure him,’ and grabbed him by the arm through his bulletproof vest to the vehicle door. But due to his weight and equipment, I couldn’t lift him. Another colleague grabbed him, we pulled him and placed him in the back seat, where I removed his bulletproof vest because of its weight and because it was completely covered in blood,” Peci testified.
After placing the sergeant in the car, Peci and officer Mirsad Kryeziu sat in the front. However, the relentless gunfire continued, leading to one of the car’s tires exploding. “I got into the passenger seat, while colleague Mirsad got in the driver’s, but the shooting didn’t stop. As we turned towards Mitrovica, we could hear them shooting, and when we hit the road, Mirsad said that they had blown out my tire,” the witness said.
The session is set to continue this afternoon with the hearing of further witnesses.
