Ban Ki-Moon: Kosovo peaceful only on surface

"The overall security situation remains peaceful on surface, with relatively few protests and a reduced number of violent incidents (...) There is, however, a noticeable but hidden tension, which is the result of the disappointment of the people of Kosovo by the dragging of the status process", the 23- page report says.

"Although the number and the weight of the interethnic incidents is relatively low, violent incidents and vandalism against cultural heritage have continued, particularly in ethnically-mixed areas", Ban Ki-Moon says in his report, which will be presented to the UN Security Council next week.

Ban Ki-Moon has also warned about several attacks against non-Albanian policemen and discoveries of arms caches of the Kosovo paramilitary Albanian National Army (AKSh).

The Secretary-General has also warned about a small number of registered returnees to Kosovo: since the beginning of the year only 1,018 people, out of which 37,9 percent were Serbs, returned to their homes.

More than 200,000 Serbs and other non-Albanians have been expelled from their homes by Kosovo Albanians since 1999.

Meanwhile, a series of incidents against the Serb community have been noted in Kosovo.

A local Serb's house burned in a fire that broke out late Sunday night in the village of Klokot, near Kosovska Vitina.

"This is the second attack in just one week and we feel very insecure and request the protection of KFOR, more frequent patrols in the village, and the setting up of checkpoints,"  local resident Trajan Trajkovic said.

A week ago, in the same village, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a store owned by local Serb Bora Spasic. Although a dozen people were inside the store at the time of the attack, no one was injured.

Two armed incidents have also occurred since Saturday in the village of Priluzje, near Obilic - one of the major Serb enclaves in Kosovo.

Both involved gun fire and gun threats from cars passing through the enclave.

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