Kosovo finds remains of at least 23 people in suspected mass graves

What the report says

Kosovo authorities say they have found skeletal remains believed to belong to at least 23 people in three suspected mass graves, in a development tied to the country’s decades-long search for those missing from the 1998-1999 war. The discovery was reported by forensic teams, prosecutors and police, who said full identification will come only after further examinations.

According to Al Jazeera’s report, excavations began about two weeks ago in the Zubin Potok area in northern Kosovo. Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti said during the search that the remains were most likely those of 23 ethnic Albanians abducted in Mitrovica and later executed in spring 1999. Prosecutors said the remains have been sent for DNA testing, a process they warned could take months.

The findings come against the backdrop of Kosovo’s effort to account for people who disappeared during the war between ethnic Albanian rebels and Serbian forces. Al Jazeera noted that about 13,000 people were killed and 4,000 went missing in the conflict, and that roughly 1,600 people are still unaccounted for. Officials have spent years locating suspected burial sites and identifying victims.

Police also said three local men were arrested in recent days and are being investigated on suspicion of war crimes against the civilian population. If confirmed, the latest discovery could add important evidence to ongoing efforts to document wartime abuses and provide answers to families still waiting for information.