Dozens Are Injured in Kosovo Street Violence

A fight between an ethnic Albanian and a Serb escalated into a street battle Tuesday in which 16 French peacekeepers and 24 civilians were wounded, a further sign of the deep ethnic hatred dividing Kosovo.

The violence broke out on the northern side of Kosovska Mitrovica, forcing U.N. officials to suspend attempts to register Serbs wanting to return to their homes on the southern, ethnic Albanian side of town. Later, they moved up the divided city’s curfew by two hours to 8 p.m.

According to witnesses, an ethnic Albanian man attacked a Serbian man with a crowbar in an Albanian neighborhood on the Serb-controlled side of Kosovska Mitrovica.

Several Serbs rushed to help the injured man, while others went after the attacker, a witness said. In the crush, an ethnic Albanian opened fire from the backyard of a nearby house, seriously wounding one Serb.

“That created panic,” said Lt. Matthieu Mabin, a spokesman for the French peacekeepers, who arrived after the shooting started. The French troops and police were running down a narrow side street, toward the shots, when someone threw grenades at them.

Medics scrambled to stabilize one soldier’s leg wound, as another lay on the ground moaning. Those who were not hurt in the blasts dragged injured comrades toward waiting ambulances.

“Hand grenades were thrown, we don’t know from whom or from where . . . but it created very many injured, especially French soldiers,” Mabin said.

Twenty Serbs, 16 French peacekeepers and four ethnic Albanians were hurt, said Lt. Col. Patrick Chanliau, another spokesman for the French peacekeepers. A 17th peacekeeper was injured in a separate incident, he said.

Four ethnic Albanians were arrested in connection with the shootings, Chanliau said.