Shots fired at group of Serbs in village of Banje near Srbica

Radio Television Serbia, Belgrade, Wednesday, September 13, 2006 17:38

Unknown persons opened fire on a group of Serbs in the village of Banje near Srbica, the Coordinating Center for Kosovo and Metohija's press center reported, adding that none of the Serbs was hurt.

The Serbs came under intense rounds of fire from the forest where they had set out to cut firewood from the direction of the formerly mixed, now purely ethnic Albanian village of Radesevo in Srbica municipality.

All forested lots in this part of Kosovo and Metohija are owned by Serbs and it is these lots that are constantly targets of theft by Albanians from neighboring villages.

Since 1999 five Serbs have been killed and 17 have been wounded on the territory of the villages of Banje and Suvo Grlo near Srbica.

The most serious crime took place at the end of the year 2000 when three Serbs were killed and approximately 10 wounded in an armed attack on an UNMIK bus.

None of the perpetrators were ever found or brought to justice.