Kosovo police kill at least 3 armed attackers during hours-long standoff

Kosovo police said they killed three armed attackers and arrested another Sunday during a shootout in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo.

The standoff between police and 30 armed men began just hours after an ambush incident left one police officer dead and another injured. Some of the shooting is taking place near a monastery in the village, police said.

"Three gunmen have been killed, two gunmen and four suspects have been arrested, the latter were found in illegal possession of radio communications, and who are suspected of being related to a terrorist group," said Kosovo police in a Facebook post.

According to the police, the "security situation continues to be tense" although "the intensity of attacks on police officers has decreased."

Authorities previously said they found "logistical equipment, suspected military vehicles, military uniforms as well as weapons and ammunition of different calibers" at a residential location being used by the attackers.

"Kosovo Police continues to call on criminal groups to surrender to the justice authorities and at the same time invites citizens to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies, in the interest of calming the situation and general security," the statement read.

The incident is a serious escalation in a region already prone to unrest. Kosovo is majority Albanian, but like other villages in the north, Banjska is predominantly Serbian.