EULEX, KFOR have no comment on incident

According to reports, the incident occurred between Serbian MUP Gendarmes and armed ethnic Albanian timber thieves. In a written statement for Tanjug, Gendarmerie Commander Bratislav Dinkić said that "a number of people opened fire on a Gendarmerie patrol near the administrative line with Kosovo," and that the incident happened on Sunday evening near Kuršumlija. "The patrol responded adequately and suffered no casualties, while information from the Kosovo police indicates that 6 ethnic Albanians were injured," Dikić stated. "At 19:40 CET, near the administrative line with Kosovo, in the area of the village of Borovac, the municipality of Kuršumlija, shots from automatic weapons were fired from two directions targeting a Gendarmerie patrol," he said. A tractor with logs, chainsaws and clothes were found at the scene, and EULEX and KFOR liaison officers were informed about the incident without delay, he pointed out. However, they "did not wish to make any comment," said Tanjug. The area was secured and the proper authorities will investigate the scene, Dikić noted. The Gendarmerie is doing its job to ensure the safety of the people in the area, he wrote. The Kosovo police, KPS, said that one of those injured was "seriously hurt," and stated that "people who went to cut trees on the Serb side were shot at." Public broadcaster RTS is reporting that "several hundred shell casings" were recovered in Borovac, and that an investigative judge from Prokuplje was at the scene. However, neither the judge nor the representatives of the Gendarmerie planned to make any statements before the investigation was over, RTS said.