UPDATE - Serbia accuses Kosovo police of shooting local Serb

ADDS MORE DETAILS, REACTIONS FROM US, EU

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - A Serbian official accused authorities in Kosovo on Tuesday of trying to provoke Serbs in the country by shooting a member of the local community.

Petar Petkovic, director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, told local media that Serbian national Milan Jovanovic was wounded with a police firearm on the northern Leposavic-Mitrovica road Monday night.

"He's a taxi driver. Kosovo police shot at him without any warning," said the head of the Serbian government's coordination body.

Speaking to reporters after the incident, Jovanovic suggested that he was likely shot by police.

"I was returning home from work. I suddenly heard a noise and felt a pain in my shoulder. I didn't see who was shooting, but I'm not sure if there was anyone other than Kosovo police in that area," he said.

Jovanovic was taken into surgery after the shooting and is currently in stable condition.

Kosovo police, however, have denied that its units were involved and said an investigation had been launched into the shooting and injury of a person before midnight.

"Kosovo police did not get involved in the shooting incident," said a statement it released.

According to Petkovic, Kosovo officials are seeking to provoke local Serbs.

The incident came amid preparations for local elections on April 23 in four municipalities in the north of Kosovo, where Serbs mostly live, near the border with Serbia.

"(Kosovo Prime Minister Albin) Kurti obviously does not want peace and does not want to abide by the agreement reached. We are doing our best to maintain peace and security," said Petkovic.

Kosovo and Serbia reached an agreement last November to ease tensions over license plates for the Republic of Kosovo -- a sticking point for some locals, especially ethnic Serbs living in the north.

Petkovic also said Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic would be meeting with representatives of Kosovo Serbs on April 13 in the southern Raska region near the border.

The European Union condemned the incident and called for an investigation to bring justice.

''The US is concerned about an incident in which a Kosovan Serb was shot in Zvecan last night. Kosovo Police officials and institutions must conduct a thorough, credible investigation. We are deeply concerned by the initial denial made without due diligence," said the EU office in Kosovo.

The incident was also condemned by the US embassy in Kosovo.

"All citizens must trust the transparency of law enforcement officials and the judicial sector. The United States' support for the rule of law institutions advances the shared vision of a democratic and multi-ethnic state," said US Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier.

The Kosovo police announced that they had suspended four police officers suspected of being involved, including one who may have fired a firearm.

It was later announced that all four officers had been arrested.

Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo periodically escalate as the two sides try to normalize relations.

At the end of March, the vehicles of local Serbs in northern Kosovo were set alight, apparently over the issue of Kosovo license plates.

Police said eight parked vehicles belonging to Serbs were set on fire by an unknown person or group.

Kosovo, predominantly inhabited by ethnic Albanians, broke off from Serbia in 1999 and declared independence in 2008. Serbia has not recognized its independence and sees its former province as a part of its territory.