Armed, Masked Men Stop Cars In Southern Kosovo - UN
PRISTINA, November 10, 2005 (AP) - Authorities in Kosovo said Wednesday they
were investigating reports of the appearance of armed groups in the southern
part of the U.N.-administered province. Police received information that men
wearing masks and carrying weapons were stopping cars and setting up
checkpoints in the area of Kacanik, to the province's south which borders
Macedonia, said Neeraj Singh, a U.N. spokesman in Kosovo.
The area, some 60 kilometers from Kosovo's capital, Pristina, is patrolled
by U.S. peacekeepers who hold the command in southeastern Kosovo. If the
groups are spotted by North Atlantic Treaty Organization peacekeepers, they
will be detained, disarmed and handed over to the local police, said Maj.
Michael Wunn, the spokesman for U.S. troops.
In a similar case last month, NATO-led peacekeepers said armed men were
stopping cars and halting traffic in western Kosovo. The force branded the
group -calling itself "Kosovo Independence Army" - as "criminals" and
increased the number of patrols and checkpoints in that area. The group
stopped vehicles and handed occupants leaflets in which they issued warnings
to U.N. and local officials.
The shadow group, which has sent several statements to local media - has
threatened U.N. and Kosovo officials with death if they stand in the way of
the province's independence. The appearance of armed extremist groups at a
time when this disputed U.N.-run province nears talks on its future is a
worrying sign for security officials in Kosovo. There are fears of possible
violence from extremists who could try to disrupt the U.N.-sponsored talks
later this month that will consider whether Kosovo will become independent
or remain part of Serbia.
Kosovo has been administered by the U.N. and patrolled by NATO-led
peacekeepers since 1999. Kosovo's ethnic Albanians want full independence
while Serbia insists it retains some authority over the province. Some
17,500 NATO-led peacekeepers patrol the province. The alliance recently
conducted a military exercise to test its readiness to confront possible
unrest around the start of negotiations.
Serbian News Network - SNN
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http://www.antic.org/
