Early this morning, members of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF/KBS) joined the ongoing search operation for a young man who jumped into Lake Gazivode (Ujman) from a bridge on Sunday and did not resurface. While Kosovo’s ruling party Vetëvendosje claimed it was the “first time KBS has operated as an army in the north of the country” previous cases suggest otherwise.
The young man, later identified as a 33-year-old ethnic Albanian from the diaspora who had been visiting for the summer, jumped from the Kolashin cliffs bridge – a site known among Albanian visitors for swimming and cliff diving, despite its height and the associated risks. His body has not yet been recovered.
Local rescue teams and the Kosovo Police have been searching since Sunday, reportedly without success. Today, however, specialized KBS units, including a diving, search and rescue team, were escorted to the site by KFOR vehicles around 9 a.m.
A high-ranking police official in the North confirmed to KoSSev that KBS arrived under KFOR escort, and only after a formal request from the Kosovo Police regional directorate to its central command in Pristina.
“They have better equipment and more experience in these situations. After two days of unsuccessful searches by existing teams, we requested their assistance,” Deputy KP Commander for the North, Veton Elshani, told KoSSev.
Ponoš: Body already located, search intentionally delayed to enable KBS entry
Former Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Zdravko Ponoš claimed Monday evening that the body had already been located, but the search was deliberately slowed to enable KBS deployment to the North – this time with KFOR approval.
The presence of KBS units was later confirmed and became the top headline in many Kosovo Albanian media outlets.
Vetëvendosje: “First time as an army in the north”
The ruling Vetëvendosje party highlighted today’s deployment, stating:
“For the first time, KBS is present in the north of the country as an army.”
They cited a statement by Kosovo’s Minister of Defence, who described the operation as a coordinated humanitarian mission involving the KBS, Kosovo Police, the Emergency Management Agency, and KFOR.
“The specialized diving and search-and-rescue units of the KBS were deployed this morning to assist civil authorities in locating the body of a migrant in Lake Ujman in the municipality of Zubin Potok,” the minister said.
“In line with its core mission to support civil institutions, and in coordination with KFOR, KBS initiated this operation with the aim of finding the body and relieving the pain of the family.”
Not the first time: KBS presence in the North before
Despite the political framing, this is not the first time KBS units have operated in northern Kosovo.
In 2015, KBS divers took part in a days-long operation to recover the body of an ethnic Albanian youth who drowned in the River Ibar, crossing into northern territory during the search.
Moreover, last year, KBS members attended a funeral in the North for a former KLA fighter – reportedly without prior KFOR approval – with photos from the event shared by Kosovo government officials. Following this, the Kosovo government was compelled to send written assurances to NATO that KBS would not be deployed in the North without prior approval.
Deployment possible only with KFOR approval
According to a 2013 agreement between the Kosovo government and NATO (often referred to as the “Thaçi Agreement”), KBS cannot operate in northern Kosovo without explicit approval from KFOR and consultations with local authorities.
This principle has been reaffirmed multiple times in KFOR statements and by Kosovo officials.
Today’s deployment was carried out on a humanitarian basis.
KBS’s involvement follows the prior involvement of local rescue groups, which had reportedly paused their search Monday due to a lack of oxygen tanks. They resumed efforts today and expressed hope that, with KBS support, the young man’s body will soon be recovered.
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