Unrest in Kosovo

NEW YORK - In his latest semi-annual report on the work of UNMIK, the UN mission in Kosovo-Metohija, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Belgrade and Pristina to "exercise restraint and refrain from taking unilateral actions that could lead to heightened tensions and further escalation."

BELGRADE - The Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija said on Wednesday the so-called Kosovo Police had continued to harass and arrest Serbs in north Kosovo municipalities and that its only goal was to lead to a fresh escalation of tensions and the crisis on the ground.

PRISTINA - A Kosovska Mitrovica basic court has placed a Kosovo Serb arrested at the Jarinje administrative crossing on Sunday under 30-day house arrest.

BELGRADE, Sept 28 (Tanjug) - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Thursday the Eulex mission had not been allowed to take part in an investigation following last weekend's clashes in Banjska in the north of Kosovo-Metohija because Pristina wanted to hide that the Serbs killed in the clashes had been brutally murdered.

Three Serbs have been killed after a policeman was shot dead in the northern village of Banjska in Kosovo.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced last night that Kosovo police had killed the three and seriously wounded two Serbs.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Two Serbs were arrested in the north of Kosovo-Metohija on Wednesday.

Ilija Elezovic was arrested in Kosovska Mitrovica, his son Nikola confirmed to Tanjug, adding that the arrest had taken place near a local secondary school this morning.

"We have not been told why he was arrested or where he is," Nikola Elezovic said.

Turkish commando battalion deployed in Kosovo upon the request by NATO to assist in quelling violent unrest in the Balkan country has started to return to Türkiye as the mission is completed, the Defense Ministry has announced.

BRUSSELS - The EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak has welcomed a decision to withdraw 25 pct of so-called Kosovo Police troops deployed in and around municipal buildings in the north of Kosovo-Metohija, made at a meeting of representatives of the so-called Kosovo Police, Eulex and Kfor in Bratislava.

BRUSSELS - The EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak has welcomed a decision to withdraw 25 pct of so-called Kosovo Police troops deployed in and around municipal buildings in the north of Kosovo-Metohija, made at a meeting of representatives of the so-called Kosovo Police, Eulex and Kfor in Bratislava.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Pristina's police confirmed to Tanjug on Friday a Kosovo-Metohija Serb arrested at the Jarinje administrative crossing earlier in the day had been released from detention.

Previously, the deputy chief of the so-called Kosovo Police for Region North said the arrestee, a man identified by the initials B L, had been detained for "possession of narcotics."