(3 Jul 1999) English/Nat
Two Albanian men have been shot by British troops in Pristina.
Thousands of revellers were on the streets of the Kosovar capital celebrating a nine- year-old declaration of independence.
British troops opened fire when a car drove toward their position and gunfire was heard.
The British soldiers were providing security for about 50 Serbs who had taken shelter in a nearby building.
The Pristina shootings happened while thousands of ethnic Albanians celebrated in the streets of Kosovo's capital, honking horns and waving Albanian and U-S flags.
A total of eight shots were fired.
One of the cars occupants was found dead at the scene, and another died later in hospital.
Two other people were seriously injured.
SOUNDBITE: (Albanian)
" I heard lots of shooting and then about 20 to 30 metres away I saw a man lying on top of a car - I think he was dead. Then I saw three others lying on the street."
SUPERCAPTION: Witness
A KFOR spokesman said an automatic weapon was found in the car.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"During the evening, some local Serb governmental ministers asked for K-FOR protection as they feared that they may be in danger. A K-FOR patrol was dispatched to the temporary Serb executive building. At about half past midnight a car with eight persons riding in and on top drove past the building and automatic gunfire was heard. The K-FOR patrol believed that their lives were in danger and fired eight shots at the vehicle. One person was killed on the spot and three persons very seriously injured. One person died later in hospital. Its good to see that the people in Kosovo now have something to celebrate after such a long period of suffering and we know that celebratory fire is normal in this part of the world. But we would caution against it in times of tension. K-FOR is here to protect the safety of all people in Kosovo, and will do so entirely evenhandedly. Any loss of life is regrettable but I would stress that if any K-FOR soldier feels that his life is in danger, he will respond quickly and robustly. "
SUPERCAPTION: Major Jan Joosten, KFOR spokesman.
The celebration marked the day nine years ago when Kosovo Albanian opposition movements declared independence in the Serbian province, a declaration not recognized by any government.
While the mood was generally celebratory, there were rumblings of unrest.
Some people burned the flags of Serbia and Yugoslavia and others dragged a statue of a Serbian scholar through the streets behind a tractor
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