Grenade lobbed at Serb cafe in Kosovska Mitrovica
Grenade attack in Kosovska Mitrovica, attacker arrested, three persons wounded
KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, August 26, 2006 (Beta) - Three people have been lightly wounded in a grenade explosion that occurred at about 7:00 p.m. on the garden patio of the Dolce Vita cafe in the northern (Serbian) part of Kosovska Mitrovica, near the Ibar River bridge.
According to eyewitness accounts, the attacker walked up and lobbed the grenade right into the entrance of the cafe, injuring three people and shattering the glass in the entrance.
The attacker on the Dolce Vita cafe in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica is (ethnic Albanian) Adem Dibrani (age 16) from the southern (Albanian) part of the divided city. According to unofficial sources, he has been arrested by the police.
In the grenade attack, which occurred at about 7:00 p.m. (Serb) Nenad Devencic and his wife, who is a foreign citizen and eight months pregnant, were injured.
Also injured was a Scotsman employed by the international mission in Kosovo and Metohija.
At the time of the attack Oliver Ivanovic, one of Kosovo Serb political Leaders (Serbian List for Kosovo and Metohija SLKM), was also in the garden patio.
"This is a catastrophe. I am extremely concerned. The man just calmly walked up and lobbed a grenade. He could have done the same thing at a time when there are a lot of young people here," said Ivanovic. He added that he was also worried by the poor response by the Kosovo Police Service and KFOR.
UNMIK police have blocked the entrance to the cafe and are presently conducting an investigation.
Several hundred Serb citizens have gathered near the cafe and are heading toward the bridge separating northern and southern Kosovska Mitrovica. The bridge has been blocked by KFOR and the police.
Mitrovica has been an ethnically divided city. The southern part of the city is ethnic Albanian while in the northern part beside Serbs a few thousands of non-Serb minorities also live.
Attackers of Vuk Danilovic in Decani have still not been arrested
KIM Info Service
Decani, August 26, 2006
The perpetrators who physically attacked (Serb) teacher Vuk Danilovic on August 21 in Decani still have not been found because none of the several hundred people present in the main square at the time of the incident is prepared to cooperate with police and identify them, advised sources close to the Kosovo Police Service. Danilovic, who is temporarily living as a displaced person in Berane (Montenegro), was visiting Decani with five Serb children as part of an OSCE "multiethnic camp" program.
The attack was condemned recently in the media by Decani mayor Nazmi Selmanaj and the municipal Committee for the Protection of Human Rights. However, despite these words of condemnation Albanian language daily "Epoka e Re" published a controversial communiqué by the so-called "KLA War Veterans Association" saying that "Danilovic is a war criminal" and that "future reactions will be more harsh because the people do not want to be provoked by the bringing of criminals on the bloody soil of Kosovo". The Association is already known for its extremist positions with respect to Serbs, UNMIK and KFOR. The Kosovo Police Service seriously suspects that the perpetrators of this incidents are, in fact, members of the Association.
The evening of the attack Decani mayor Nazmi Selmanaj personally spoke with Danilovic by phone and inquired about his health. According to Mr. Selmanaj's statement, everyone is aware that Danilovic has always been a peaceful and respected citizen who never did anything to provoke the anger of others.
