EU police disperse Kosovo Serb protest

PRISTINA, Kosovo, May 4 (UPI) -- EU police in Kosovo said they dispersed Serbs protesting against Albanians, who want to rebuild their houses in the northern town of Kosovska Mitrovica.

Police of the European Union's EULEX security mission used tear gas to stop about 50 Serbs from entering the Brdjani suburb of the ethnically divided Kosovska Mitrovica, the Serbian news agency Tanjug reported Monday.

A Serb activist was slightly injured when hit by a tear gas canister. A doctor in the Serb-controlled northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica said the injured man would be fit to join protesters again Tuesday.

Serbs, protesting for the 10th day in a row, broke through a cordon of the Kosovo police prompting EULEX police unit to intervene.

Five houses, owned by Albanians, are being revamped with funding from the Kosovo government and municipalities in the Albanian-controlled southern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, Tanjug said.

The EULEX mission in Pristina said they were forced to use tear gas and shock bombs to disperse protesters who broke through cordons of Kosovo police.

Kosovo, a predominantly ethnic-Albanian province, in February 2008 unilaterally declared independence from Serbia, which refuses to recognize the new Balkan state.