Petkovic: Pristina's police have raided Red Cross building in Zubin Potok

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Tuesday Pristina's armed police had raided a Kosovo-Metohija Red Cross building near the Gazivode Lake in Zubin Potok.

"It is a facility that has served exclusively for first aid and rescue training for children and Red Cross course students and for various sports competitions, training and lectures, accommodation for tourists and athletes visiting this part of Kosovo-Metohija and the Gazivode Lake, as well as for hosting official visits," Petkovic said.

He said a large number of so-called Kosovo Police troops had entered the building earlier in the day, banning a doorman and a security guard from the premises during a search of the facility.

"That leaves ample space for manipulation by Kurti's phalanxes," Petkovic added.

He noted that Albanian-language internet portals had published extensive and unsubstantiated reports about the building three days ago in an attempt to compromise it and pave the way for, and justify, the violent and illegal raid and the seizure of the premises.

"With the raid on the Red Cross building, (Pristina's caretaker PM Albin) Kurti is attacking the very foundations of the survival of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija and jeopardising the work of this important international humanitarian organisation, and the Office for Kosovo-Metohija will inform all relevant international representatives of that," Petkovic said in a statement.