No incidents in north, 8 dead elsewhere

The New Year was marked in northern Kosovo with most residents staying at home. No incidents were reported from the volatile Kosovska Mitrovica, which saw unrest at the start of the week. No incidents in north, 8 dead elsewhere The Serb-dominated areas of this divided town, as well as Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic did not see any outdoors events, while those who spent the evening in one of the restaurants enjoyed rich meals and music from local bands, reports say. However, at the stroke of midnight last night, both southern, Albanian, and northern, mostly Serb parts of Kosovska Mitrovica were lit up by fireworks. KFOR increased its presence in the streets in the northern part of the town last night, with soldiers driving in full combat gear in their APCs, while Kosovo police, KPS, members were also seen. Elsewhere in Kosovo, eight people died in incidents, while two were wounded by stray bullets. KPS reports say that the victims, mostly of car accidents, were ethnic Albanians. "Serbs were in fear" Pristina's few Serb residents – the number was put at some 40 people in previous reports –endured a night of fear due to an unprecedented barrage of gunfire in the town and its surrounding areas. Snezana Borzanovic, who was the first to return to the province's capital after the 1999 war, told KiM Radio that the Serbs in Pristina, who gather daily at the Peace and Tolerance Center, were visited by KFOR officials ahead of the New Year celebrations, while KPS members were seen in greater numbers in the streets yesterday. Still, all this did not manage to drive away the fear of the Pristina Serbs, she said, as the shooting was heard from the late afternoon hours of Wednesday, until early Thursday. "The night was terrible, there was shooting everywhere. I felt from the force of the detonations that mortars were used as well. The shooting took me back to 1999. There was no chance to sleep throughout the night. I have had one of the most unpleasant experiences since I returned to Pristina," Borzanovic said.

No incidents in north, 8 dead elsewhere

The Serb-dominated areas of this divided town, as well as Zvečan, Zubin Potok and Leposavić did not see any outdoors events, while those who spent the evening in one of the restaurants enjoyed rich meals and music from local bands, reports say.

However, at the stroke of midnight last night, both southern, Albanian, and northern, mostly Serb parts of Kosovska Mitrovica were lit up by fireworks.

KFOR increased its presence in the streets in the northern part of the town last night, with soldiers driving in full combat gear in their APCs, while Kosovo police, KPS, members were also seen.

Elsewhere in Kosovo, eight people died in incidents, while two were wounded by stray bullets. KPS reports say that the victims, mostly of car accidents, were ethnic Albanians.

"Serbs were in fear"

Priština's few Serb residents – the number was put at some 40 people in previous reports –endured a night of fear due to an unprecedented barrage of gunfire in the town and its surrounding areas.

Snežana Borzanović, who was the first to return to the province's capital after the 1999 war, told KiM Radio that the Serbs in Priština, who gather daily at the Peace and Tolerance Center, were visited by KFOR officials ahead of the New Year celebrations, while KPS members were seen in greater numbers in the streets yesterday.

Still, all this did not manage to drive away the fear of the Priština Serbs, she said, as the shooting was heard from the late afternoon hours of Wednesday, until early Thursday.

"The night was terrible, there was shooting everywhere. I felt from the force of the detonations that mortars were used as well. The shooting took me back to 1999. There was no chance to sleep throughout the night. I have had one of the most unpleasant experiences since I returned to Priština," Borzanović said.