More than 100 UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) police officers and NATO-led peacekeeping forces were injured in Monday's clashes with ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo town of Mitrovica, police said.
"Sixty-three members of UNMIK police and 45 KFOR soldiers were injured," said regional Kosovo Police Service (KPS) spokesman, Besim Hoti. According to him, the injured have received adequate medical treatment.
Meanwhile, more than 70 ethnic Serbs were injured in the morning clashes, following UNMIK's operation to retake control from Serb demonstrators who had occupied the UNMIK courthouse for three days.
Two Serbs were badly injured. They were transferred to Belgrade and Kragujevac for further medical treatment. With head wounds, Nebojsa Vukomanovic is a KPS member, but at the time of incident he was in civil uniform, KPS spokesman Veton Elshani confirmed.
In Pristina, international security authorities released Monday afternoon all 32 Serbs arrested in the morning at the Mitrovica courthouse. Elshani said the detainees were identified and interviewed before released to defend against the charges in freedom.
Some groups of protesters were still in the northern Mitrovica streets waiting for the arrival of 32 arrested Serbs on Monday morning.
Serbian Minister for Kosovo, Slobodan Samardzic, who is visiting Kosovo, is reported to be with those waiting for the arrival of released Serbs from the Pristina detainee center.
Samardzic said UNMIK had broken its word by moving in to evict the court-building occupiers. Serbian leaders in Belgrade blamed international presence in Kosovo for heavy-handed action.
Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu condemned Monday's act of violence against the international presence.
He appealed to Kosovo's Serb community to avoid violence and return to normal life in a common effort for a "democratic Kosovo integrated in Europe family."
On Monday evening more KFOR troops were arriving in Mitrovica. A Portugal contingent joined hundreds of KFOR troops to ensure a safe and secure area.
French contingent spokesman Etienne du Fayet said KFOR was in full control of the area.
The main bridge of Mitrovica, dividing the town in north Serbian and south Albanian is blocked for civil traffic. Only security forces are allowed to cross by.
(Xinhua News Agency March 18, 2008)
