Orthodox church looted on Christmas Day, new incidents in Kosovska Mitrovica
The Chuch of St. Grigorije Bogoslov in the village of Livadja, near Gracanica (central Kosovo) was looted on Christmas Day, the church has announced.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Friday, January 09, 2009
"Traditionally we have services in this church on the second day of Christmas. We found the church open at seven in the morning," local priest Svetislav Trajkovic said, adding that icons had been thrown around the church and money had been taken.
He said that two gilded candle holders as well as a gilded cross and other items had been stolen.
Two furnaces, one wooden and one electric, were also taken along with about 100 plates and cutlery.
The robbery was immediately reported to the Kosovo police in Lipljan, and an investigation is under way.
"This is one of many attacks on Serb shrines that shows in just how much danger religious and cultural heritage in Kosovo truly is," the Rasko-Prizrenska Eparchy, in charge of Kosovo, stated.
Meanwhile, unidentified perpetrators damaged two cars in Suvi Dol, near Kosovska Mitrovica, the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) announced.
KPS Regional Spokesman Besim Hoti said that the cars vandalized belonged to a Kosovo Serb and a Kosovo Albanian. Unknown perpetrators trashed the two automobiles with stones, which caused some 30 residents of Suvi Dol, both Serbs and ethnic Albanians, to rally at the scene, the spokesman specified.
Members of KPS Police Station North reacted promptly and, with the help of colleagues of Station South, they managed to normalize the situation, Hoti said.
The KPS has now stepped up patrols in Suvi Dol, the spokesman said.
This village, situated a couple of kilometers from Kosovska Mitrovica, is home to some 40 Serb families and all surrounding settlements are of populated by ethnic Albanians.
