Weeks of excavation work in Kalludër e Vogël and Jabukë, in the Zubin Potok area, are nearing completion following the exhumation of the remains of three additional people.
The latest discovery is expected to bring the search operations to an end. Authorities have so far recovered the remains of 23 people across three locations: 13 at the first site in Kalludër e Vogël, four in Jabukë and six at another location in Kalludër e Vogël.
Kushtrim Gara of the Government Commission on Missing Persons said the excavation, assessment and exhumation process was expected to be completed by Friday at the latest.
He emphasized that the remains are believed to belong to victims of enforced disappearance, while forensic examinations and DNA testing will be necessary to establish their identities.
“The important thing is that it has now been confirmed that the remains belong to 23 people, victims of enforced disappearance,” Gara said, adding that the identification process will continue through forensic examinations and DNA analysis.
The findings have also prompted authorities to examine evidence discovered in the surrounding area.
Acting Interior Minister Xhelal Sveçla said weapons confiscated near Kalludër in Zubin Potok will undergo forensic examination to determine whether they may have been used in the killings of the 23 victims whose remains were discovered at the sites.
The discoveries could therefore become significant evidence in ongoing efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the disappearances and deaths of those whose remains were found.
The final identification of the victims, as well as forensic analysis of the recovered material, is now expected to provide further answers about what happened at the sites.
