THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on Wednesday that two Filipino police officers serving with the United Nations mission in Kosovo were among the dozens of injured peacekeepers in the violence that erupted in the conflict-stricken northern city of Mitrovica.

In his report to the DFA, Ambassador Hilario Davide Jr., Philippine permanent representative to the UN, said the two Filipino policemen were injured in the riots that occurred shortly after UN and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) peacekeepers stormed a UN court that was seized last week by Kosovo-Serbs.

He said the Philippine Mission is closely monitoring the situation in Kosovo and continues to coordinate with Senior Supt. Dencio Duldulao, head of the 40-member National Police (PNP) Peacekeeping Contingent, and Supt. Romeo Pillonar, the senior National Police officer in Mitrovica.

Davide said the two injured peacekeepers were assigned with the Prisoner Escort Unit of the Specialized Police Unit under the UN Mission in Kosovo (Unmik). They were part of a three-vehicle convoy transporting detainees, but they were blocked and attacked by an undetermined number of Serbs on Saint Peter Street near the North Mitrovica police station on Monday morning.

“The two Filipino peacekeepers were dragged out of their vehicle by an undetermined number of Kosovo Serbs after they refused to release the detainees inside the vehicle,” said Davide in a statement released through the DFA. Reports indicated that the mob was able to free 10 of the detainees.

He said the two Filipino peacekeepers sustained bruises and other injuries and were brought to a UN hospital where they were reported to be in stable condition.

Davide also said that a number of UN peacekeepers were also injured when Serbs fought off with gunfire, grenades and stones.

He said Unmik and Nato peacekeepers stormed the UN court that was taken over last Friday by Serbs protesting the unilateral declaration of Kosovo’s independence by the Kosovo Albanian majority.

Davide clarified that about 18 of the 40 Filipino police officers in Kosovo were sent to Mitrovica to augment UN police officers there, but no Filipino was involved in the actual takeover of the UN court.

Two Filipino cops in UN mission hurt by Serb rioters in Kosovo 

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on Wednesday that two Filipino police officers serving with the United Nations mission in Kosovo were among the dozens of injured peacekeepers in the violence that erupted in the conflict-stricken northern city of Mitrovica.

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