Serbs in north stop several KFOR vehicles

Source: Beta, Tanjug

ZVEČAN -- Serbs in northern Kosovo early on Monday stopped and turned back several KFOR vehicles on the road leading to the Jarinje administrative checkpoint.

KFOR troops in northern Kosovo

Their local representatives said the passage of NATO troops was "not harmonized with heads of local self-governments in northern Kosovo".

The vehicles included two Hummers, one crane, and a pickup truck carrying American soldiers.

They came from the southern, ethnic Albanian part of the divided town of Kosovska Mitrovica.

The vehicles were stopped in the Zvečan municipality and went back after a short while via northern Kosovska Mitrovica, Suvi Do, and further toward southern Kosovska Mitrovica.

Reporters said there were no incidents.

Earlier, KFOR announced its members would continue works on Monday on repairing a bridge on the road between Zvečan and Leposavić, that leads to Jarinje.

They said they needed "full freedom of movement" in order for their heavy machines to reach the bridge near Ložište.

Member of the local crisis committee Časlav Sofronijević said that KFOR too must respect procedures and receive a permit to conduct this type of work from the Zvečan Department of Urbanism.

But he also remarked that KFOR's real intention was an attempt to transport heavy machines to the north "so they could tear down barricades", which were put up in this part of the province by Serbs.

Meanwhile, the night was peaceful at the barricades near Jarinje and Brnjak, where Serbs have been keeping watch for more than three months - ever since the Kosovo Albanian authorities from Priština tried to take over the checkpoints.

Serbs form a majority north of the Ibar River in Kosovo. They reject the authority of the government in Priština, as well as the unilateral declaration of independence made by ethnic Albanians in early 2007.