Kosovo Police Hurt In Border Protest

Pristina _ 19 Kosovo police officers were injured Monday as a group of Serbs attacked Mutivode crossing along the Kosovo-Serbia border.

A statement issued by the police says that around 150 men, who were suspected to be ex-servicemen from Serbia approached the border crossing near Medvedja and attacked Kosovo Police officers.

“19 police officers were injured. The injuries were mainly caused by stones that the protesters threw”, said the police statement, adding that “the protesters threw also bottles filled with water and fuel”.

“The Special Police Unit was forced to use tear gas to disperse the crowd, who was extremely aggressive,” it goes on to say.

The police at the border was supported by Special Police Units and NATO-led peacekeeping troops, KFOR, who brought the situation under control.

According to the statement, the Serb police on their side of the border “did not react, apart from securing their checkpoint cabins.”

Another demonstration was held in Mitrovica on Monday, in which no incident was reported and the number of demonstrators, according to observers, was smaller on previous occasions.

The Serb-dominated northern half of Mitrovica has seen daily protests by Kosovo Serbs since ethnic Albanian politicians declared independence from Serbia on February 17.

Border crossings between Serbia and Kosovo have also been targeted by violent protests and in two incidents, Serbs from Serbia proper were alleged to have caused damage and attacked Kosovo police.