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(13 Feb 2000) Eng/Albanian/Nat VOICED BY: Julie Hunt Fighting intensified on Sunday in the ethnically divided Kosovar town of Mitrovica. Grenade explosions targeted ethnic Albanians in the Serb part of the city, leaving seven injured. A man was then killed and seven others wounded in fighting between NATO peacekeepers and snipers. NATO officials said snipers' bullets hit two French peacekeepers. Counterattacks by French soldiers reportedly killed one sniper and left five others wounded. NATO officials said all the snipers were ethnic Albanian. Bursts of gunfire sounded from the Serb side of Mitrovica. UPSOT GUNFIRE Albanians living in the northern part of town were forced to flee across the freezing River Ibar. Armed ethnic Albanians who tried to ford the Ibar and move to the Serb side were rebuffed by peacekeepers firing warning shots. UPSOT GUNFIRE Albanians in the south were told to take cover. Though the sniping came from the Serb side, NATO said all the snipers were ethnic Albanians. Injured Albanians were literally carted off to hospital. U.N. police rescued two ethnic Albanians after one of their houses was damaged by a grenade and the other set ablaze. French peacekeepers were also wounded - causing troops to retaliate. SOUNDBITE:(English) “As far as my company is concerned, it has returned fire when it has been appropriate, mostly against snipers who appear to be operating in the area towards the river“ SUPER CAPTION: English) Major Simon Plummer, Commander of British troops in Mitrovica This Albanian woman says she was beaten by Serbs. SOUNDBITE:(Albanian) “We were surrounded by thousands of them (Serbs). They had stones in their hands they threw them at us and beat us up. They had guns and I was alone with my daughters.“ SUPER CAPTION: Mukadez Bajqilovci, injured woman The U-N has promised to send more police and NATO soldiers to protect ethnic Albanians in the town. And peacekeepers have now imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew. But tensions continue to run high. Find out more about AP Archive: Twitter: Facebook: Instagram: You can license this story through AP Archive:
