Injured Serbs recall clash with NATO soldiers
- 13 years ago
Two Serbs lie injured in hospital beds after clashes with NATO soldiers on the Kosovo-Serbia border.
Milan Premonic -- who did not refer to the NATO peacekeepers directly, said their shooting was indiscriminate.
SOUNDBITE: Milan Premonic, Injured Serb
"They were hit by stones and earth, nothing else was around, then they started the truck, and drove it to the base, and when they entered the base, they started firing on people."
Sixteen Kosovo Serbs and four NATO soldiers were wounded at a disputed border crossing on Tuesday where Serbs had staged a protest against the removal of a Serb-held barricade.
Witnesses said NATO forces used firearms, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Aleksandar Radunovic was also injured in violence.
SOUNDBITE: Aleksandar Radunovic, Injured Serb
"They started firing on people, and on the groups, on all, on my way to the bus, I felt pain in my back, I thought it was from a rubber bullet, but blood was dripping down my arm, it was a piercing wound."
Serb officials have said six protesters received serious gunshot wounds and others incurred minor injuries.
NATO officials have said peacekeepers acted in self-defense after protesters used firearms and threw pipe bombs.
Meanwhile, Kosovo's prime minister condemned the violence - and called for a meeting to discuss growing tensions.
Sarah Irwin, Reuters.
Milan Premonic -- who did not refer to the NATO peacekeepers directly, said their shooting was indiscriminate.
SOUNDBITE: Milan Premonic, Injured Serb
"They were hit by stones and earth, nothing else was around, then they started the truck, and drove it to the base, and when they entered the base, they started firing on people."
Sixteen Kosovo Serbs and four NATO soldiers were wounded at a disputed border crossing on Tuesday where Serbs had staged a protest against the removal of a Serb-held barricade.
Witnesses said NATO forces used firearms, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Aleksandar Radunovic was also injured in violence.
SOUNDBITE: Aleksandar Radunovic, Injured Serb
"They started firing on people, and on the groups, on all, on my way to the bus, I felt pain in my back, I thought it was from a rubber bullet, but blood was dripping down my arm, it was a piercing wound."
Serb officials have said six protesters received serious gunshot wounds and others incurred minor injuries.
NATO officials have said peacekeepers acted in self-defense after protesters used firearms and threw pipe bombs.
Meanwhile, Kosovo's prime minister condemned the violence - and called for a meeting to discuss growing tensions.
Sarah Irwin, Reuters.