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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| EU police officer killed in Kosovo | EU police officer killed in Kosovo |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| A European Union police officer has been shot dead while on patrol near Mitrovica in northern Kosovo. | |
| The EU mission, Eulex, condemned the "act of cowardly violence" and said a murder investigation had been launched. | The EU mission, Eulex, condemned the "act of cowardly violence" and said a murder investigation had been launched. |
| It said two vehicles, carrying six staff members, "came under fire from unknown persons". It did not identify the dead officer. | It said two vehicles, carrying six staff members, "came under fire from unknown persons". It did not identify the dead officer. |
| Mitrovica, divided between ethnic Serbs in the north and Kosovo Albanians in the south, is a notorious flashpoint. | Mitrovica, divided between ethnic Serbs in the north and Kosovo Albanians in the south, is a notorious flashpoint. |
| Eulex said the shooting happened during regular staff rotation from a border crossing with Serbia. | |
| "At approximately 07:30 local time (05:30GMT), two vehicles carrying six staff members came under fire in the vicinity of Zvecan town," Eulex said. | |
| "No effort will be spared in bringing the perpetrator to justice." | |
| Tensions | |
| The attack took place on the road between Mitrovica and the town of Jarinje, Serbian news agency Tanjug reported. | |
| Mitrovica hospital sources told Tanjug the victim had been admitted in an unconscious state with bullet wounds at about 08:00 (06:00 GMT). Doctors tried to revive him for an hour, but without success. | |
| Vehicles from Eulex and local Kosovo police were deployed around the hospital. Police also restricted access to the area of the incident. | |
| Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, and the Eulex mission took control of police, justice and customs services. | |
| Tensions have since persisted in northern Kosovo, which has a sizeable Serbian population. | |
| However, Kosovo and Serbia signed an EU-brokered deal on normalising relations in April this year, providing considerable autonomy to Serb-majority areas. | |
| Municipal elections are scheduled to take place in Kosovo on 3 November. |