UNMIK/PR/546
PRISTINA- SRSG Hans Haekkerup said today he was horrified to learn of the deaths of two civilians and the injury to many others during a mortar attack on the Kosovo village of Krivenik.
British journalist Kerem Lawton was one of those killed during the attack which occurred after Polish and U.S. KFOR troops were fired on by a group of armed men-apparently Albanian guerrillas fleeing from Macedonian forces. The two deaths and injury of 20 other people occurred in the village further back from the border.
“I deeply regret this tragedy which has cost the lives of innocent civilians,” Mr. Haekkerup said. “I will be raising the urgent need for restraint by the Macedonian forces and for dialogue to replace the shooting when I visit Skopje tomorrow.”
The SRSG will be meeting FYROM government officials Friday morning during a pre-arranged visit to discuss the need for the Macedonian ban on the free flow of commercial vehicles carrying goods and supplies to Kosovo. At present, road traffic is restricted to KFOR and UNMIK vehicles and personnel, a ban which has resulted in massive lines of trucks at border crossing points.