Tuesday, February 19, 2008

NATO Called to Evacuate KPS from Border Stations

1700 CET: A total of 14 international police officers and four Albanian KPS officers were evacuated by Danish and Romanian KFOR from the border with Serbia today. Five of the international officers were temporarily detained by Serbian police in the buffer zone but were later released with their weapons to be evacuated by KFOR. No injuries have been reported in the two incidents at Gate 1 & 31 but both crossings are said to be destroyed. Gate 1 was reportedly burnt to the ground and Gate 31 destroyed by an explosion. KFOR has taken control of both border crossings and currently there is no movement in or out of Kosovo.
1530 CET: It has been confirmed that Gate 31, Banja, was also sacked. Estimates of the crowd is between 1000-3000 people and they are said to be well organized

1400 CET: Kosovo Police Services (KPS) called NATO to evacuate officers from border stations with Serbia after nearly 1000 protestors stormed and burnt down one of the border crossings and attacked another near Zubin Potok. Gate 1 at Jarinje has been burnt to the ground and a KFOR spokesperson said that they would intervene. I will post more info as it becomes available