(15 Mar 2000) English/Nat
French peacekeepers fired tear gas and stun grenades at angry Serbs as NATO took control of a key bridge in Mitrovica on Wednesday.
It was the first step toward uniting this ethnically divided city and reasserting international control in Kosovo's most unstable community.
But a number of Serbs, peacekeepers and reporters were injured in the clashes as the K-FOR troops moved into the Serb area.
A 350-member Italian marine brigade heading into Kosovo has been assigned to Mitrovica to try to help the French K-FOR troops quell the ethnic violence there.
The operation began when 250 French peacekeepers backed by armoured personnel carriers and Italian paramilitary police set up a cordon on the Serb-dominated north side of a bridge.
The bridge links the ethnic Albanian south bank of the Ibar River with an ethnically mixed neighbourhood called Little Bosnia on the other side.
Troops in full riot gear ordered four Serbs who had been guarding the north end of the bridge to leave and they did so quietly.
A crowd of up to 300 Serbs then gathered around the security cordon 250 yards from the northern end of the bridge.
About three hours after the operation began, Serbs tried to return to their homes in Little Bosnia.
Troops refused to allow the Serbs to pass through their security cordon and fired tear gas and stun grenades when they tried.
The chief surgeon at the Serb-controlled hospital, Dr. Radomir Jankovic, said nine Serbs were hospitalised, including two with serious injuries.
He said both had a leg amputated because of injuries suffered by stun grenade explosions.
The leader of the Mitrovica Serbs, Oliver Ivanovic, said the number was even higher.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We have 15 people injured and two are very, very badly injured. I suppose that one of them is dangerous for life, we will transport him to Belgrade.
Question: How does the events of today influence your relationship with K-FOR?
"I think if they insist this decision we will not respect, no more, any decision from K-FOR. We will be against, we will be peaceful resistance."
SUPER CAPTION: Oliver Ivanovic, Serb leader in Mitrovica
Speaking in Pristina, a K-FOR spokesman said only four Serbs were injured in what K-FOR saw as a successful operation.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The picture is not quite clear yet for me, so far I can tell you that the establishing of the confidence area began and K-FOR troops moved to the northern side and extended the area and some 300 Serbs were gathering there trying to prevent K-FOR from moving forward. But they moved back then after tear gas was used and in the whole four people were slightly injured and now it's calm as I said."
SUPER CAPTION: Lt. Col. Henning Phillipp, K-FOR spokesman
Eventually the tense standoff eased as both sides agreed to pull back a few yards in the hope of defusing the situation.
The K-FOR troops were later seen searching for Serbs in the area.
Once the access to Little Bosnia is secured, troops plan to take full control of the second, larger bridge.
That bridge has been the scene of confrontation among Serbs, Albanians and peacekeepers since the effective division of the city, which began soon after NATO entered Kosovo in June 1999.
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