Bogdanovic calls on EULEX to protect Serbs

BELGRADE, July 2 (Tanjug) - Serbian Minister for Kosovo-Metohija (KiM) Goran Bogdanovic requested from EULEX to protect the Serbs in the province, secure peace and find and punish the perpetrators of the explosion in northern Kosovska Mitrovica.

"The bomb attack on Serbs gathered on the protest on the occasion of opening the office of the so-called Kosovo government in northern Kosovska Mitrovica represents another act of violence and shows that Albanian extremists and Pristina do not fear anything in order to achieve their secessionist plans," Bogdanovic stressed in a statement delivered to Tanjug.

Pediatrician Mesud Dzekovic dies in the hospital from the injuries he sustained in the explosion in the Bosnjacka Mahala district in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, and 11 more people were injured.

Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija requests from EULEX to finally take measures in accordance with its mandate, the protect the Serbs, their lives and property, to secure peace, and find and punish the perpetrators, Bogdanovic pointed out, adding that no one has the right to excuses, particularly not the legitimate international presence.

According to him, the opening of the office of the so-called Kosovo government for the issuing of personal documents in northern Kosovska Mitrovica is a calculated provocation intended to cause incidents.

"This morning's attack shows that every attempt of realizing Pristina's plan for the integration of the northern KiM can have far-reaching consequences on peace and stability. All skeptics, and all the diplomats of the countries that have recognized the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo, now know that the source of terrorism in the province are not the Serbs from the North, but rather the Albanian extremists, supported by the so-called Kosovo government," Bogdanovic said.

Tadic urges international institutions to react immediately

BELGRADE, July 2 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic called on international institutions on Friday to react fiercely so as to protect law and order in Kosovo-Metohija (KiM) and pointed out that Serbia will not respond to provocations which threaten the stability of the region.

Tadic pointed out that the situation in KiM is the greatest security challenge for Serbia and called on the international community to react to the attempts of destabilization in the province.

“As the president of the Republic of Serbia, I urge all international institutions to react in the gravest manner so as to protect the law and order in Kosovo-Metohija and prevent provocations and threats to peace,” Tadic said at the ceremony of delivering officer's swords and certificates to the 53rd class of general-staff specialized officers who graduated from the National Defense School.

A total of 12 people were injured, of whom one severely, in an explosion which hit Bosnjacka Mahala, a district in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, early on Friday.

Serbia and its army are a key factor and an inextricable element in ensuring peace and stability in southeast Europe and will not respond to provocations which threaten the stability, Tadic said.

The president underlined that Serbia has not in any way whatsoever contributed to endangering the safety of the people in southeast Europe, and that the country has all international rights to demand respect and a response which will guarantee peace and stability.

According to Tadic, Serbia is a democratic country which knows how to manage a crisis and will therefore not respond to provocations.

Pediatrician succumbs to injuries

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, July 2 (Tanjug) - Pediatrician Mesud Dzekovic died of consequences of injuries suffered in explosion in Bosnjacka Mahala, a district in northern Kosovska Mitrovica.

Director of the Healthcare Center in Kosovska Mitrovica Milan Jakovljevic told Tanjug that Dzekovic died around noon and that doctors did everything to save him.

“Dzekovic suffered chest wounds, including heart. The doctors did all, but unfortunately could not save him,” Jakovljevic said.

Dzekovic was injured in front of his family house.

Eleven persons, who took part in peaceful protest in Kosovska Mitrovica, were injured in a blast that hit Bosnjacka Mahala, but they are not in jeopardy of life.

Out of the total of 11 injured, five are men and six are women, and in most of the cases they have suffered shrapnel wounds.

So far, police have no information on who activated the device.

EULEX Spokesperson Irina Gudeljevic stated Friday that EULEX most fiercely condemns all acts of violence including the one that happened in Kosovska Mitrovica on Friday.

Gudeljvioc told Tanjug that EULEX has deployed two special unit troops in order to help the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) secure the area.

One of the injured Zoran Rakic stated that Serbs did not provoke anyone and that those were peaceful protests.

“We were standing still. At one moment we heard and felt the blast. I was with my wife and at the moment I felt pain in my arm,” said Rakic, who is being treated in the hospital in Kosovska Mitrovica.

Tadic convenes session of National Security Council

BELGRADE, July 2 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic has convened an emergency session of the National Security Council on the occasion of the explosion in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, Tadic's Cabinet told Tanjug.

An explosion occured in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, in which 12 people were injured of whom one died.

12 persons injured in Kosovska Mitrovica explosion

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, July 2 (Tanjug) - A total of 12 people were wounded, of whom one severely, in the blast which occurred during a peaceful protest in Bosnjacka Mahala, a district in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, on Friday.

Kosovska Mitrovica Healthcare Centre Director Milan Jakovljevic told Tanjug that local pediatrician Mensur Dzekovic was severely injured in the blast while standing in front of his family home.

Dzekovic suffered injuries to the chest and heart, and the doctors are struggling to preserve his life.

Six of the 12 injured persons are male and the remaining six are female. Their injuries were for the most part inflicted to the limbs by shards.

At the moment, the police do not know who set off the explosive device.

Zoran Rakic, one of the people injured in the incident, said that Serbs did not want to offend anyone and that they had gathered only to stage a peaceful protest.

The explosion went off in the Bosnjacka Mahala district earlier in the day, during a protest of several hundred Serbs against the Kosovo government's plan to open an office for providing services to the civilians.

The premises of the office are being guarded by members of the EULEX police.

The situation in Kosovska Mitrovica has stabilized but the general atmosphere is still tense. KFOR helicopters are flying over the town, and KFOR soldiers have been deployed in the vicinity of the so-called eastern bridge near the site of the incident.

Several persons injured in Kosovska Mitrovica blast

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, July 2 (Tanjug) - Several persons were injured in an explosion which hit Bosnjacka Mahala, a district in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, early on Friday.

Citizens who gathered in protest against the opening of Kosovo government office suffered injuries in the explosion, Tanjug reported from the scene.

The exact number of the injured who have been transferred to Kosovska Mitrovica hospital is still unknown.

Several persons injured in Kosovska Mitrovica blast

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, July 2 (Tanjug) - Several persons were injured in an explosion which hit Bosnjacka Mahala, a district in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, early on Friday.

Citizens who gathered in protest against the opening of Kosovo government office suffered injuries in the explosion, Tanjug reported from the scene.

The exact number of the injured who have been transferred to Kosovska Mitrovica hospital is still unknown.

Several hundered Serbs gathered in Bosnjacka Mahala earlier in the day to protest against the plan of the interim Kosovo authorities to open a Kosovo government's office for issuing personal documents.

The possible opening of the office disturbed the local Serbs, and even alarm sirens went off in the town. The premises of the Kosovo government building are being guarded by the EULEX police.

The representatives of Serbs who gathered to protest in the district of Bosnjacka Mahala demand that the plan for the opening of the office is abandoned.

KFOR forces and the Kosovo police are stationed on the so-called eastern bridge which separates the northern part of the town (mainly inhabited by Serbs) from southern Kosovska Mitrovica (populated by Kosovo Albanians).

Bosnjacka Mahala is one of multiethnic quarters in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica which is a home to both Serbs and ethnic Albanians.

Serbs protest over possible opening of Kosovo govt office

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, July 2 (Tanjug) - Several hundered Serbs in Bosnjacka Mahala, a district in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, protested against the plan of the interim Kosovo authorities to open a Kosovo government's office where personal documents would be issued.

The possible opening of the office disturbed the local Serbs, and even alarm sirens went off in the town early Friday. The premises of the Kosovo government building are being protected by the EULEX police. The representatives of Serbs who gathered to protest in the district of Bosnjacka Mahala demand that the plan for the opening of the office is abandoned.

KFOR forces and the Kosovo police are stationed on the so-called eastern bridge which divides the northern part of the town (mainly inhabited by Serbs) from southern Kosovska Mitrovica (inhabited by Kosovo Albanins).

Bosnjacka Mahala is one of ethnically mixed neighborhoods in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica where both Serbs and ethnic Albanians live.

Austrians rally in support of Zogaj family

VIENNA, July 2 (Tanjug) - Thousands of people took part in a rally in Vienna on Thursday against inhumane policy toward asylum seekers and primarily against a ruling of the Constitutional Court that the Zogaj family from Kosovo-Metohija has no right to remain in Austria.

The rally, gathering about 7,000 people according to police data and according to the organizers 20,000, sent an appeal that the Zogaj family, who are to leave Austria soon, should be granted asylum.

The Zogaj family entered the country illegally and lived there for eight years constantly applying for asylum.

The court has recently decided that the Zogaj family has no right to asylum and should leave the country.

According to the announcements, the Zogaj family could leave Austria and return to Kosovo next week after the school year ends.

The Austrian Interior Ministry refused to grant them a humanitarian visa and underlined that they are economic and not political asylum seekers.

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