Fires set in southern Mitrovica Beta

Fires set in southern Mitrovica
Beta - March 18, 2004

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA -- Thursday – Albanians in Kosovska Mitrovica this afternoon set fire to the Church of St Sava. The fire followed another in the Serbian Orthodox church’s residential premises and a grass fire in the Orthodox cemetery in the southern part of the town.

The church, which is also in the southern, Albanian zone of the segregated town, was protected by Greek KFOR troops.

Earlier today a large group of Albanians broke through a police cordon in the south part of the town and began to move towards the north, but were dispersed by police and KFOR troops.

Serbs, including the head of Belgrade’s Kosovo Coordination Centre, Nebojsa Covic, have assembled on the northern bank of the Ibar River to watch events in the southern part of the town.

The bridge on the Ibar which divides the town is blocked with UN combat vehicles.