Police arrest ethnic Albanian suspect over wounding of Kosovo Serb

Associated Press, Thursday, November 09, 2006 12:41 PM

 

PRISTINA, Serbia-Police in Kosovo arrested an ethnic-Albanian suspected of wounding an elderly Serb in central Kosovo, officials said Thursday.

 

Milorad Sopic, 53 was shot and wounded in his house in the village of Letnica, police spokesman Veton Elshani said. The suspect is to be charged with attempted murder and possession of an illegal weapon.

 

Another two ethnic Albanians suspected of involvement in the incident were released after questioning, Elshani said. No motive for the attack was made known.

 

Tension has been running high between the province's majority Albanians and minority Serbs as the province seeks to settle its political status in U.N.-run talks between Kosovo leaders and their counterparts in Serbia.

 

Albanians want the province to become independent while the Serbs want it to remain under Belgrade's control.

 

Kosovo's Prime Minister Agim Ceku said that the province may declare independence unilaterally if Western envoys stop short of declaring Kosovo independent.

 

A proposal by the U.N. envoy in charge of the talks is expected by the end of the year.