Serbia, Kosovo in Row over 'Plans to Attack Train'

Southeast Europe | January 15, 2017, Sunday // 10:18|  views

Serbia's Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic. File photo, EPA/BGNES

Tensions grew between Serbia and Kosovo on Saturday after Belgrade ordered that a train be halted before entering the Kosovar territory due to reports of a planned attack.

The Belgrade-Kosovska Mitrovica train service was running for the first time since the 1999 NATO bombings.

But Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic ordered that the ride be stopped at the border town of Raska.

Authorities say they had received reports of Kosovo forces being sent to attack the train and of "Albanians" plotting to mine the tracks, in an apparent reference to Kosovo Albanians.

Vucic accused Kosovo of preparing "war games".

Serbian state-run broadcaster RTS reported Sunday the train had already returned to Belgrade, with all of its passengers getting off at Raska and using buses to get to their destinations.

It also quotes Vucic as saying the decision was motivated with the need to protect people's lives.

Pristina, however, sees the train, decorated on the inside with Serbian Orthodox images and bearing the inscription "Kosovo is Serbia" in 20 languages, as a provocation.

The train is also painted in the colours of the Serbian flag.

Kosovo officials had called for the train not to enter and had said they would let it pass through the border.

 

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Tags: Serbia, kosovo, train, Aleksandar Vucic

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