Kosovo police exchange fire with local Serbs blocking roads - Reuters

MITROVICA, Kosovo, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Kosovo Serbs and country’s constabulary exchanged gunfire connected Saturday aft a flareup of tensions successful the volatile bluish portion of the country.

Earlier successful the time Serbs from Kosovo's northbound blocked main roads successful the portion to protestation against the apprehension of a erstwhile subordinate of the Kosovo constabulary who discontinue his station past period on with different taste Serbs.

With a situation mounting successful the bulk Serb north, Kosovo's president Vjosa Osmani connected Saturday announced that section elections successful that country would beryllium delayed until April 23. Elections had been scheduled for Dec. 18 but Serbs said they would boycott the polls.

Police said the blockade halted postulation and they were forced to adjacent 2 borderline crossings betwixt Kosovo and Serbia. Later, they said they came nether occurrence successful respective locations adjacent to a water bordering Serbia. There were nary contiguous reports of injuries.

"Police units, successful self-defense, were forced to respond with firearms to the criminals who were repulsed and tally successful chartless directions," constabulary said successful a statement.

Gunshots were besides heard successful different locations successful the bluish portion of the country.

Police successful Pristina said erstwhile policeman Dejan Pantic was arrested for allegedly attacking predetermination committee offices, constabulary officers and predetermination officials connected Tuesday.

Serb mayors successful bluish Kosovo municipalities, on with section judges and immoderate 600 constabulary officers, resigned past period successful protestation implicit a authorities determination to regenerate Belgrade-issued car licence plates with ones issued by Pristina.

"Serbia has instructed its amerciable structures to acceptable up barricades successful the northbound Kosovo. Belgrade bears the afloat work for immoderate escalation," Blerim Vela, Kosovo's statesmanlike main of unit said connected Twitter.

Earlier, Kosovo constabulary arrested different Serb connected suspicion of taking portion successful an equipped onslaught connected a constabulary patrol. On Thursday, a policeman was injured successful an onslaught connected a patrol aft constabulary ranks successful the country had been reinforced by non-Serb officers pursuing the wide resignations.

In an urgent property conference, Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic said helium would inquire NATO's KFOR peacekeeper ngo to fto Serbia deploy troops and constabulary successful Kosovo, though helium acknowledged determination was nary accidental of support being granted.

Kosovo declared independency from Serbia successful 2008 with the backing of the West, pursuing a 1998-1999 warfare successful which NATO intervened to support Albanian-majority Kosovo.

Reporting by Fatos Bytyci successful Pristina, Ognen Teofilovski successful North Mitrovica and Aleksandar Vasovic successful Belgrade Editing by Ros Russell and Peter Graff

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