Social Democratic Party (SDP BiH) leader and prime minister of Bosnia's Federation entity Nermin Niksic denied that the weapon used in recent armed clash in Kosovo was acquired in the Bosnian city of Tuzla, as alleged by Serbian authorities, calling it “a lie.”

“I can understand that Serbia has been exposed over the past days to strong pressure and condemnations by democratic states, but that does not mean they can seek for alibi for their actions in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Niksic.

Armed clashes broke out last weekend between a group of Serbs, led by former deputy leader of the Belgrade-backed Serb List Milan Radoicic, and the Kosovo Police in the Banjska village in northern Kosovo. One Kosovo police officer and three Serbs were killed.

Serbian Criminal Police Directorate officers apprehended Radoicic and raided his apartment and other properties on Tuesday, followed by interrogation at the Higher Public Prosecution in Belgrade, where he denied the crimes he is accused of.

According to the statement, Radoicic was questioned on suspicion of having committed the crimes of conspiring to commit crimes, illegal possession and trafficking of firearms and explosives and endangering the public.

Radoicic is being charged with acquiring weapons, ammunition and explosives from Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina which were delivered to him just outside Belgrade and then transported to Kosovo to be hidden in abandoned buildings. He is also suspected of heading a group of men who endangered lives in Banjska, the Prosecution press release said. Radoicic is being investigated along with a number of unidentified people.

Bosnian police responded immediately announcing the investigation into the allegations.

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Niksic stressed that Serbia's intelligence services and its political leadership “unfortunately came up with a plan to shift a part of the responsibility for the terrorist attackonto the neighbourhood, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

“Given the political circumstances here, they probably assessed that there will be no adequate, swift and accurate reaction based on facts. They underestimated us again,” he said.

According to him, the weapon found by Kosovo police is not manufactured in BiH, noting that it was clear from the serial numbers on the found weapons that those were manufactured ini the Serbian factories Sloboda, Krusik etc.

Niksic also said that, based on the legislation in BiH, all parts of weapon, ammunition and military equipment that are exported to other countries undergo the most strict procedures in line with NATO standards and in cooperation with NATO.

“Of course, all objective information show that the Serbian serviced presented false information,” he stressed, calling on Serbia to transparently investigate the causes and publicly reveal the organisers and those who ordered “the terrorist attack.”