Serbia Arrests Kosovo Serb Over Attacks on KFOR

A court in central Serbian town of Kraljevo has ordered Slavoljub Jovic into 30 days of custody on Wednesday on suspicion of having tried to kill members of the Kosovo protection force, KFOR, in the village of Rudare in Serb-run northern Kosovo.

The clashes erupted on the Mitrovica-Zvecan highway on June 1, close to the Rudare border crossing during the peacekeepers operation to remove roadblocks.

A Kosovo TV station, Most, reported that at least three Kosovo Serbs were also injured in the same incident from rubber bullets fired by KFOR soldiers.

Serbia's Public Prosecutor's Office on Wednesday said that after a hearing before an investigative judge, during which Jovic remained silent, the judge decided that an investigation should be launched against him.

Jovic is charged with multiple shootings at KFOR members, which left two injured and put others at risk. He is also charged with attempted murder and illegal possession of weapons and explosives.

Northern Kosovo, which borders Serbia, has long been prone to violence. Its population, almost entirely comprised of Serbs, does not recognise Kosovo's independence or the ethnic Albanian-led government in Pristina.

The region is under the de-facto control of so-called parallel institutions funded by Belgrade, which include town councils, health authorities, post offices and schools.

Since July 25 , 2011, local Serbs have erected dozens of barricades, blocking roads in reaction to a government police operation aimed at seizing border crossings with Serbia.