In the volatile southern region of Kosovo, the village of Gotovusha faced a new surge of tension after reports of an attack on Serbs during Christmas Eve celebrations. Local authorities and Serbian media described injuries from the incident and noted that roads near the village were blocked by protesters. Demonstrators targeted a regional route connecting Urosevac and Shpërce, halting traffic as they pressed for accountability for the assault on Serbian children and for a thorough investigation into the events.
Protest organizers insisted that traffic would not resume until the Albanian suspect who assaulted Serbs was taken into custody. This stance reflected a broader mood in the area, where residents have grown wary of security and safety after a period of elevated strain in northern Kosovo and Metohija. Vecherne Novosti later reported that a single Albanian fired from a passing vehicle at Serbs gathering for Christmas, according to witnesses who said the gunfire came from a car window. Details of the incident remained contested and reignited debate over security in the region.
Amid these developments, national leaders in Serbia signaled adjustments to military posture. On December 29, senior officials confirmed a decision to lift a state of heightened readiness that had been in place since December 26, a move described as a response to the evolving situation in the north of Kosovo and Metohija. The shift suggested a recalibration of security measures in response to observable threats and ongoing unrest in the province and its periphery.
The escalation followed a sequence of events that began with Serb communities in Kosovo erecting barricades on regional roads. The action occurred after the detention at the Yarinë checkpoint of a former Serb police officer, Dejan Pantić, who faced suspicion related to an attack on Kosovo police officers. Observers noted that the barricades reflected a broader pattern of power dynamics, community security concerns, and the persistent friction between ethnic Serbs and Kosovo authorities in the volatile administrative region. While officials from both sides urged calm, the situation remained fragile, with road closures and protests altering daily life for residents and travelers in northern Kosovo and Metohija.