Kosovo: Five Serbs arrested in war crimes probe

Kosovo police have arrested five ethnic Serbs, including four former police officers, as part of an investigation into alleged war crimes committed in 1999. The arrests are the first to be made in connection with the massacre of more than 40 Kosovar Albanian civilians in the village of Recak in January 1999.

A judicial source confirmed the arrests, stating that the suspects are accused of participating in war crimes during the Kosovo War. The Recak massacre remains a significant and sensitive event in the history of the conflict, often cited as a key incident that drew international attention and intervention.

Prosecutors have indicated that further details will be released as the investigation progresses. The arrests signal a renewed effort to pursue accountability for alleged atrocities committed during the 1998-1999 conflict, which led to a NATO intervention against Serbian forces.

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These are the first arrests in the investigation into the massacre of more than 40 Kosovar civilians committed by Serbian forces in the village of Recak, in January 1999.