PRISTINA, March 18 (Hina) - The commander of NATO's Allied Forces Southern Europe, Admiral Gregory Johnson, said after visiting Kosovo on Thursday that the first contingent of additional NATO troops had arrived in Kosovo in response
to the latest escalation of violence between Serbs and ethnic Albanians which, according to the latest data, has claimed the lives of 31 persons.
PRISTINA, March 18 (Hina) - The commander of NATO's Allied Forces
Southern Europe, Admiral Gregory Johnson, said after visiting Kosovo
on Thursday that the first contingent of additional NATO troops had
arrived in Kosovo in response to the latest escalation of violence
between Serbs and ethnic Albanians which, according to the latest
data, has claimed the lives of 31 persons.#L#
Three reserve units have arrived and others will do so soon, Johnson
said, expressing regret that after five years Kosovo's citizens were
attacking the peace troops.
He added the attacks might be orchestrated.
The U.N. Mission to Kosovo said in the evening that 31 people were
killed in the clashes, about 500 were wounded, including 61 police and
35 NATO soldiers.
Johnson said this was a very sad day for Kosovo. He added the number
of the peace troops was being increased so that the mission to Kosovo
could be fulfilled.
Earlier today he met local and international officials, telling them
that violence led to poverty and was not the way to ensure Kosovo's
future.
(Hina) ha