Former Prime Minister of Albania Sali Berisha has backed the Albanian police special forces following a gun shootout with a Greek extremist in Bularat, a Greek-populated village in Soutern Albania. Kostantinos Kacifa was shot dead after he opened fire against a police car that was approaching after the victim had shot in the air.

Berisha said the police have full legal rights to use deadly force to neutralize armed assailants when arresting them is impossible.

However, Berisha expressed his condolences to the family of the victim and condemned the official reactions both in Athens and Tirana that wanted to use the incident for political intentions.

“Despite the condemnable act that put in danger the lives of the police officers, I express my human condolences to the family of the victim. I also condemn some official reactions in Athens but also in Tirana, that want to use the incident for political gains. A full and transparent investigation is necessary for this incident. I also would like to make an appeal to stop the primitive anti-Albania hysteria in Athens and the anti-Greek in Tirana, which do not serve either the truth or the cooperation between the two countries”, Berisha writes in his Facebook page.