Four Serbs injured in clash with Albanians in Kosovska Mitrovica

Police say groups of Serbs and Albanians pelted each other with stones late Wednesday before NATO peacekeepers and U.N. police ended the violence. Gunshots were heard.

Two United Nations vehicles and five civilian cars were damaged.

On Thursday, the situation in northern Kosovska Mitrovica was calm but the police still does not know who initiated the late Wedesday incident.

UNMIK regional police commander David MacClean confirmed early on Thursday for the Mitrovica-based Radio Kontact Plus that four Serbs had been slightly injured in clashes with ethic Albanians and added that it was not yet known who had initiated the incident.

"We do not know what caused the incident, what caused the problem", he said.

He confirmed that fire arms were used in the clashes, and added that fire could be heard as coming from both sides, but that there was no shooting at each other.

Vice-President of the Assembly of Communities of Municipalities of Kosovo and Marko Jaksic said on Thursday that the incidentwas aimed at spreading fear among Serbs and expelling them from these regions.

Jaksic pointed to the fact that all what had been going on in Suvi Do in the last two months (clashes over the water supply system) had now been transferred onto the Three Highrises settlement in Kosovska Mitrovica North, and that the Albanians' goal was to expel the Serbs living in the northern part of the city.

"In this way, the Albanians are trying to realise their idea of independent Kosovo on the whole of their territory, since they do not control this part," Jaksic said.

"After the cleansing of the southern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, it remains for the Albanians to cleanse the northern part of the city, and in this way, on the basis of ethic cleansing of Serbs in Kosovo, they want to create their independent state," Jakic argued.

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