KOSOVO ALBANIANS INJURE CZECH SOLDIER IN SHOOT-OUT
BBC Monitoring International Reports - November 8, 2005

Text of report in English by Czech news agency CTK

Pristina/Prague, 8 November: A Czech soldier and an Albanian man suffered minor injuries in an exchange of fire with a group of Albanians in Kosovo today, the Czech Defence Ministry told CTK.

The Czech soldier was airlifted to the local military hospital.

A group of Czech soldiers, who are part of the Czech contingent within the Kfor mission, clashed with the armed men at a patrolling mission in northern Kosovo. The six Albanians were illegally cutting wood and after an appeal that they should stop with it, they put up resistance.

The men were injured in the subsequent shoot-out, started by the Albanians after a warning shot was fired by the Czech soldiers.

The wood smugglers were later detained and passed to the Kosovo police corps, the Czech Defence Ministry said. The case is being settled by the military police in cooperation with the local administration of the United Nations and the police.

Source: CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1515 gmt 8 Nov 05

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