U.N. police arrest two former rebels in connection with March riots
Deutsche Presse-Agentur - May 2, 2004

Pristina - The United Nations police in Kosovo arrested two ethnic Albanians Sunday for "playing an active role" in the riots of March 17 and 18, in which 19 people were killed and over 600 were injured.

The U.N. force said in a statement the two men were detained in the towns of Pec and Istog in western Kosovo, in the course of ongoing investigations into the organizers of the violent demonstrations.

The U.N. police executed search warrants in five separate locations in the towns of Pec and Istog Sunday, but did not comment whether all wanted persons were arrested or not.

They also refused to identify the arrested men. However, local sources said the two men were former rebels and members of the Association of War Veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

"Whilst the persons detained may have association with a representative organization, the arrests were made as a result of their own actions and not on account of their affiliations", the U.N. police in Kosovo said in a statement.

Since the riots U.N. authorities and the NATO-led peacekeeping force KFOR have detained over 200 people for their suspected role in the riots.

 dpa lu emc
May 2, 2004, Sunday, 17:38:41 Central European Time
Copyright 2004 Deutsche Presse-Agentur  

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