Explosive thrown at Serb restaurant in Kosovo

Source: Tanjug

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA -- Unidentified persons threw an explosive device at a Serb-owned restaurant in northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica a little before midnight.

No one was injured, but the blast caused material damage.
The owner of the restaurant is a Serb, who lives in an apartment above, and at the time of the attack there were no guests in the restaurant so no one was injured.

The restaurant is located in the multi-ethnic neighborhood Bosnjačka Mahala.

The town itself is divided along ethnic lines - and physically by the Ibar River - into the norther, mostly Serb, and southern, ethnic Albanian parts.

The restaurant's glass doors and windows were shattered last night, while residents who live nearby went out in the streets, Tanjug's on-site reporter said. The blast was strong, and could have been heard in most parts of the city.

Members of the Kosovo police (KPS) were investigating the scene.

Kosovska Mitrovica Mayor Krstimir Pantić strongly condemned the bomb attack, stressing that this was done by people who were troubled by peace, and wished to intimidate Serbs in this manner.

Pantić said in a statement for Tanjug that the attack took place "after KFOR commander Erhard Drews' statement that the barricade on the main bridge in Kosovska Mitrovica needs to be removed".

“This incident proves that the situation is completely unstable and that citizens are not safe. It is mere luck that no one was injured,” Pantić said.

Earlier on Monday evening, unidentified persons assaulted an ethnic Albanian, "leaving him with serious injuries", Kosovo Police Regional Spokesperson Besim Hoti said.

Hoti told Tanjug that the incident took place in the neighborhood Tri Solitera, northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, around 18:30, when a number of persons attacked the ethnic Albanian.

He said that the motives were unknown, and that the Kosovo police from northern Mitrovica launched an investigation.

The Tri Solitera neighborhood is a suburb in northern part of the town that is home to both Serbs and ethnic Albanians.