ROUNDUP: Serbia warns of possible new crisis in southEds: Adds Washington reaction
Deutsche Presse-Agentur - July 20, 2004

Belgrade - Serbian Interior Minister Dragan Jocic warned Monday of deteriorating security in the fragile southern region dominated by ethnic Albanians, a day after a group of gunman wounded five people in an ambush near Kosovo border. Police have detected the presence of several terrorist groups, made up of former UCK fighters," Jocic told reporters, warning that overall security could deteriorate. An Albanian woman was seriously wounded, and four other people sustained slight injuries after Albanian outlaws ambushed several cars near village Konculj on Sunday. Belgrade's chief co-coordinator for southern Serbia and Kosovo Nebojsa Covic described the attack as a text-book terrorist act", but urged people to stay calm. Sunday's shooting came after a long period of relative calm in the Albanian-dominated southern Serbia, which was the scene of an UCK uprising in 2001. In Washington, the United States condemned the violence. A statement released by the U.S. State Department said that the U.S. "looks forward to a swift investigation by local authorities. We expect those responsible, once caught, to be held accountable for their acts.

July 20, 2004, Tuesday - 01:31:20 Central European Time
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