YUGOSLAVIA: ETHNIC ALBANIANS CONFRONT FRENCH KFOR TROOPS IN MITROVICA JUST HOURS AFTER CLASHES BETWEEN ETHNIC SERBS AND ALBANIANS LEFT DOZENS INJURED

Record ID: 565776

  • Title: YUGOSLAVIA: ETHNIC ALBANIANS CONFRONT FRENCH KFOR TROOPS IN MITROVICA JUST HOURS AFTER CLASHES BETWEEN ETHNIC SERBS AND ALBANIANS LEFT DOZENS INJURED
  • Date: 10th September 1999
  • Summary: MITROVICA, KOSOVO, SERBIA, YUGOSLAVIA (SEPTEMBER 10, 1999) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WS FRENCH KFOR TROOPS STANDING IN STREET 0.07 2. VARIOUS FRENCH KFOR TROOPS HOLDING BACK LINE OF PROTESTING ETHNIC ALBANIANS NEAR BRIDGE THAT LEADS TO SERB SIDE OF TOWN (7 SHOTS) 0.56 3. SV (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRENCH KFOR PRESS OFFICER CAPTAIN BERTRAND BONNBAU: "Yesterday evening we had a demonstration, about 300 Albanian Kosovars and about the same number of Serb Kosovoars, standing on each side of the bridge, and at around 9 p.m. 50 Albanian Kosovars crossed the river, walking, and reached the north bank of the river, where they stayed here, and during this demonstration two grenades were thrown and they exploded between the Serb Kosovar crowd and the French soldiers, and eight French soldiers were injured, slightly wounded fortunately. "The situation was under control by 11.30 pm, and today, there's a demonstration by very young people as you can see behind me, and the situation is now under control. We had to ask for the help of the special military the MSU, which is specialised in dealing with security matters like the one we had today." 2.04 4. VARIOUS ETHNIC ALBANBIAN YOUTHS THROWING STONES AT FRENCH KFOR TROOPS; SOME SOLDIERS THROWING ROCKS BACK (15 SHOTS) 4.14 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th September 1999 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MITROVICA, KOSOVO, SERBIA, YUGOSLAVIA
  • City:
  • Country: Yugoslavia
  • Reuters ID: LVA3WQ0ZT4OPCMMNGETJFSV6RP2C
  • Story Text: Ethnic Albanians have confronted French KFOR troops in
    Mitrovica just hours after a clash between hundreds of Serbs
    and ethnic Albanians in the tense Kosovo town left dozens
    injured, including French soldiers and gendarmes.

    On Friday (September 10), ethnic Albanians lined up at
    Mitrovica bridge as French KFOR troops stood their ground and
    Kosovo Serbs at the other end of the bridge shouted
    provocative slogans and sang Serb nationalist songs.

    On Thursday night grenades, teargas, stones and small arms
    all figured in the clash that was by far the most serious
    ethnic incident in recent weeks in Kosovo.

    It appeared to have dealt another setback to the
    international community's goal of having Serbs and ethnic
    Albanians live together in the Serbian province.

    The French military said nine gendarmes and six soldiers,
    all of them French, were injured in the confrontation that
    began at about 5 p.m.on Thursday at a bridge on the Ibar
    River that divides the town.Fighting lasted until about 11
    p.m.

    The NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping troops closed the bridge to
    traffic prompting some ethnic Albanians to attempt to wade
    across the river.

    Later ethnic Albanian youths began hurling stones and
    other objects at the French soldiers.Some picked up objects
    and threw them back.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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