, after Kosovan police said they arrived in Banjska, where about 30 heavily armed gunmen had earlier barricaded themselves in the monastery near the Serbian border. Three of the gunmen were killed in battles through the day as police mounted what Kosovo's interior minister Xhelal Svecla described as a "clearance operation". "We put this territory under control. It was done after several consecutive battles," he said. The local authorities said six people were arrested, and a significant number of weapons was seized. The authorities did not say whether those detained took part in the attack. Meanwhile, the Serbian Orthodox Church said the gunmen had left the monastery by night, Reuters news agency reported. The Kosovan police officer was killed before the occupation of the monastery. Koso){kind=link}
Kosovo and Serbia have traded accusations over a deadly stand-off between ethnic Serb gunmen and police in northern Kosovo.
One policeman and three of the gunmen were killed during a siege of a Serbian Orthodox monastery in Banjska village on Sunday.
Kosovo’s PM Albin Kurti accused Serbia of supporting the armed group.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Kosovo officials bore ultimate responsibility for the deaths.
He said the three gunmen killed were Kosovo Serbs.