Tetovo police launch investigation into clashes between youth groups

The Tetovo Department of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation to clarify the circumstances surrounding violence between two groups of young people, which was reported in the media after clashes occurred twice within a few days. Tetovo police said they are also reviewing footage from security cameras in the city in an effort to identify those responsible for the violence that took place two nights ago.

Tetovo police spokesperson Fatmir Rexhepi said officers are taking all necessary steps, including acting on information provided by residents, to establish the identities of those involved. He said leaders of the two supporter groups of Tetovo’s football teams have also been called in for questioning in an effort to prevent similar incidents from recurring and the situation from escalating.

Rexhepi expressed hope that there would be understanding and urged residents to look after their children. According to him, minors are often known to be exploited in incidents of this kind, which have emerged recently.

After the alarm was raised over the situation, Tetovo police increased the presence of uniformed officers last night and today. Patrols have focused on the main areas of the city where clashes usually occur, particularly during the evening, with the aim of gathering information and preventing fights between young people suspected of belonging to the “Vojvodët” and “Ballistët” groups.

According to Fatmir Rexhepi, the increased police presence is intended primarily to gather as much information as possible about the incident so that people who were not involved are not wrongly blamed. Efforts are also underway to identify the minors who were at the scene that night. They will be summoned to the police station together with their parents. The measures will be taken in cooperation with the Center for Social Work and Policy, with the aim of preventing such incidents from recurring in the area covered by the Tetovo Department of Internal Affairs.

Meanwhile, according to information obtained by Alsat television, groups of young people clashed on two consecutive nights during the week. Blunt and sharp objects are also suspected to have been used in the fights, while three people were injured./Alsat/