Serbs collecting wood reportedly fired upon in Kosovo
BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - September 14, 2006 Thursday

Text of report by Serbian independent news agency FoNet

Kosovska Mitrovica, 13 September: Unknown persons have fired shots at seven Serbs from Banje villages in Srbica municipality but nobody was injured in the incident, the [Serbian] International Press Centre of the Coordination Centre for Kosovo-Metohija [headed by Sanda Raskovic-Ivic] has said.

Unidentified persons from the direction of Albanian-populated village of Radesevo opened heavy fire against the Serbs who were going to the woods to collect wood.

A statement said that the Kosovo Police Service [KPS] conducted an investigation but in untimely manner.

"In this part of Kosovo-Metohija, Serbs own all forested land plots which are constantly the target of stealing. Members of the Kosovo Police Service are no longer making any efforts to protect property of the Serbs in province," the statement said.

Five Serbs have been killed while 17 have been wounded in Banje and Suvo Grlo village area since 1999 [arrival of NATO-led Kosovo Force]. At the end of 2000, three Serbs were killed and ten were wounded in an attack on UNMIK [UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] coach, the statement recalled.

Source: FoNet news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 2030 gmt 13 Sep 06

Copyright 2006 British Broadcasting Corporation
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