17 Killed as Rioting Spreads Through Kosovo and Belgrade

BELGRADE, Serbia and Montenegro — The fragile peace in Kosovo was shattered Wednesday when riots broke out across the province and in Belgrade, leaving at least 17 people dead in some of the worst clashes between Serbs and ethnic Albanians since the war ended in 1999.

The Kosovo Health Ministry said 16 people were confirmed killed -- six in Kosovska Mitrovica, three in Lipljan, three in Caglavica, two in Urosevac, one in Pec and one in Gnjilane. A 17th victim was reported killed in the provincial capital, Pristina.

Several international peacekeepers who scrambled to contain the clashes were among more than 300 people injured.

Derek Chappell, the spokesman for the U.N. police force, called it “a very dangerous situation ... very large scale.”

The Supreme Defense Council, a three-member body that commands the Serbia and Montenegro army, held an emergency session.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for an end to the violence, and the Security Council was due to meet in special session today at Serbia’s request, Serbian sources said.

Kosovo has been under U.N. control since bombing by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization drove out Serb forces in 1999, halting Serbian repression of ethnic Albanians.

Orthodox Christian Serbs regard Kosovo as their ancient homeland, but the mostly Muslim ethnic Albanians, who make up more than 90% of Kosovo’s population, are seeking independence. The province is administered by the United Nations but remains part of Serbia and Montenegro, the successor state to Yugoslavia.

Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica ruled out any military response in Kosovo. Such a move would trigger a major confrontation with NATO.

The violence began in ethnically divided Kosovska Mitrovica when ethnic Albanians massed at the Ibar River bridge to vent their rage over the drowning of three boys Tuesday. A survivor had said they were hounded into a river by Serbs, who were angry about an earlier drive-by shooting.

Albanians and Serbs threw rocks and charged one another several times before gunfire started and cars were set on fire.

Peacekeepers and Romanian special police units moved in, firing tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades.

In Belgrade, a group of about 1,000 ethnic Serbs set fire to a mosque and pelted police with rocks and bricks. Officers had tried to block the marchers but fled as the crowd swelled.

At least a dozen small explosions and several shots were heard. The crowd smashed at least two police vehicles and beat two photographers.

The crowd of mostly young men, holding beer bottles and cans, shouted, “Kill all Albanians!” and “Let’s go to Kosovo!”

They smashed the gas tanks of nearby cars to get fuel and brought wood from a nearby construction site to stoke the mosque fire, but the ancient building was not destroyed.

Demonstrators also broke into shops, burned vehicles and fought running battles with police, who fired back with tear gas. Riot police reinforced positions near the U.S. Embassy as protesters moved toward it.

A mosque in Nis also was set on fire.

Late Wednesday, armored personnel carriers and riot police were placed at U.N. headquarters in Pristina, the provincial capital. Hundreds of angry Albanians surrounded a Serbian enclave, setting U.N. vehicles on fire and throwing rocks at police, who fired rubber bullets. U.S. troops were evacuating Serbs whose homes were under attack.

In Novi Sad, 3,000 gathered in front of the headquarters of a local pro-Western party.

Times wire services were used in compiling this report.