KOSOVO: MITROVICA: NATO TAKES CONTROL OF IBAR BRIDGE

Описание: (15 Mar 2000) English/Nat

French peacekeepers fired tear gas and stun grenades at angry Serbs as NATO took control of a key bridge in Mitrovica on Wednesday.

It was the first step toward uniting this ethnically divided city and reasserting international control in Kosovo's most unstable community.

The operation began when 250 French peacekeepers backed by armored personnel carriers and Italian paramilitary police set up a cordon on the Serb-dominated north side of a bridge.

The bridge links the ethnic Albanian south bank of the Ibar River with an ethnically mixed neighbourhood called Little Bosnia on the other side.

Troops in full riot gear ordered four Serbs who had been guarding the north end of the bridge to leave and they did so quietly.

A crowd of up to 300 Serbs then gathered around the security cordon 250 yards from the northern end of the bridge.

About three hours after the operation began, Serbs tried to return to their homes in Little Bosnia and at least six Serbs were injured in clashes with French troops.

Troops refused to allow the Serbs to pass through their security cordon and fired tear gas and stun grenades when they tried.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"French KFOR, I don't know French or American, French but they look like Americans and we are not satisfied, we do not accept it. "
SUPER CAPTION: Oliver Ivanovic, Serb leader in Mitrovica

Troops were also stringing barbed wire along sidestreets leading to the bridge and could be seen searching Serbs in the area.

Once the access to Little Bosnia is secured, troops plan to take full control of the second, larger bridge.

That bridge has been the scene of confrontation among Serbs, Albanians and peacekeepers since the effective division of the city, which began soon after NATO entered Kosovo in June.

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