KOSOVO SERBS CITE KFOR-ALBANIAN SHOOTOUT IN ETHNICALLY DIVIDED TOWN
BBC Monitoring International Reports - November 5, 2004

Belgrade, 5 November: The Kosovo-Metohija Coordination Centre today said that two days had passed since Tuesday (2 November) night's incident in Kosovska Mitrovica, in the (northern) Serb part, where there was a shootout between Kfor (NATO-led Kosovo Force) members and two (ethnic) Albanians, and which not one of the information services (of UNMIK (UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo), UNMIK police, Kfor) had reported in detail.

According to Coordination Centre sources, the incident occurred when Albanians in a vehicle opened fire on a Kfor vehicle which was following them. The Kfor patrol returned fire, wounding one Albanian, who was taken to hospital in the Albanian (southern) part of Kosovska Mitrovica, while the other one managed to escape.

According to unconfirmed information, the fugitive was Rama Gezim (as received), former member of the OVK (Kosovo Liberation Army, UCK in Albanian) headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica municipality, the statement says, adding that this was yet "more confirmation that Albanian extremists are not inactive and that terrorist and criminal activities can be expected".

Source: FoNet news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 1343 gmt 5 Nov 04

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