Kosovo investigators have identified a second suspected mass grave site linked to the 1998–1999 Kosovo war in the northern municipality of Zubin Potok. The Kosovo Special Prosecution confirmed that the new location, situated in the village of Jabuke, was pinpointed following preliminary investigative work. Prosecutors announced they are preparing to petition local courts for formal authorization to carry out exhumations, site preservation, and forensic testing to determine whether human remains are buried in the area.
The discovery in Jabuke comes less than a week after specialized forensic teams initiated excavations at another suspected burial ground in the nearby village of Kalluder, located approximately 10 kilometers away. Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti confirmed that forensic experts at the Kalluder location have so far recovered the remains of seven individuals. Authorities suspect the site may hold the remains of 23 Kosovo Albanian intellectuals—including doctors, professors, and human rights advocates—who were forcibly disappeared by Serbian forces from the city of Mitrovica on April 19, 1999. Official DNA testing and forensic cross-referencing will be required to confirm the identities of the deceased.
Acting President Albulena Haxhiu described the identification of the second site as a stark reminder of unhealed wartime trauma and a clear signal that justice remains incomplete. In statements published on social media, Haxhiu asserted that every newly uncovered grave represents a step toward establishing historical truth, emphasizing that peace cannot be fully realized until the fate of every missing person is accounted for and those responsible for war crimes face legal accountability. She further accused Belgrade of deliberately concealing information regarding clandestine grave locations, intimidating potential witnesses, and obstructing international forensic efforts.
The excavations have heightened diplomatic and security tensions across the region. While Serbian state officials have not issued a direct statement regarding the newly discovered Jabuke site, Belgrade’s Office for Kosovo strongly condemned the recent arrest of two Kosovo Serbs in connection with the Kalluder investigation, labeling the security operation an act of intimidation and political retaliation against the local Serb community. In response, Kosovo authorities reiterated that the arrests were carried out strictly under judicial oversight as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into wartime atrocities against civilians.
The 1998–1999 conflict in Kosovo resulted in the deaths of more than 10,000 people—the vast majority ethnic Albanians—and displaced over one million citizens before NATO military intervention brought an end to the fighting. More than two decades after the cessation of hostilities, over 1,600 individuals remain officially unaccounted for, according to government records and international human rights organizations. Forensic operations in Kalluder and preparations in Jabuke are expected to continue for several weeks as investigators comb through complex terrain in search of further evidence.
