UNMIK confirms Kosovo rail blast

BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - December 9, 2006, Saturday

 

Text of report by Serbian TV satellite service on 9 December

 

[Presenter] UNMIK [UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] police confirmed today that the explosion near the village of Mijalic damaged a railway line. The UNMIK police statement says that [NATO-led] Kfor [Kosovo Force] special units and the police conducted an investigation and that the investigation is set to continue today. Fortunately, there were no casualties as the Lesa-Kosovo Polje train was running late. The Serb National Council demands of those authorized in Kosmet [Kosovo-Metohija] to urgently track down the perpetrators.

 

[Reporter Jasmina Stojkovic] Kosovo Police Service [KPS] members stopped the train in Vucitrn about half an hour after the railway line was blown up and all passengers were taken by bus to their destinations. As it was confirmed for us, most of the train passengers, about 100, were Serbs from Priluzje, Plemetina and other places in central Kosmet.

 

[Nebojsa Jovic, head of the Kosovska Mitrovica Serb National Council] I believe this is an opportunity for the KPS and UNMIK police to justify the confidence [UNMIK chief] Mr [Joachim] Ruecker recently placed in them and to find the perpetrators of this act, as well as, finally, to begin the arrest all extremists, as we are entering a phase where such outrages cannot be tolerated. What can Serbs and all non-Albanians in Kosovo expect should, God forbid, such criminals with such actions be rewarded by any form of Kosovo independence?

 

[Reporter] French Gendarmerie members and the Kfor forces responsible for this area have joined the KPS in the investigation and search for the perpetrators.

 

Source: RTS SAT TV, Belgrade, in Serbian 1200 gmt 9 Dec 06