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THE Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Tuesday that two
Filipino police officers were among the dozens of peacekeepers
injured in Kosovo.
In its report to Foreign Affairs Secretary
Alberto Romulo, the Philippine Mission to the United Nations said
that two Philippine National Police (PNP) officers were injured
during the riots that came shortly after UN and North Atlantic
Treaty Organization peacekeepers stormed a UN court that was seized
last week by Kosovo-Serbs.
The two officers were part of a prison convoy,
and sustained bruises and other injuries when they were attacked.
While they were reported to be in stable condition at a UN Hospital,
their identities are being withheld pending notification of their
next of kin.
The two were assigned to the Prisoner Escort
Unit of the Specialized Police Unit under the UN Mission in Kosovo.
They were part of a three-vehicle convoy that was transporting
detainees when they were blocked and attacked by an undetermined
number of Kosovo-Serbs along St. Peter Street near the North
Mitrovica police station at about 7 a.m. on March 17.
The two officers were dragged out of their
vehicle by an undetermined number of Kosovo-Serbs after they refused
to release the detainees they were transporting. Reports said the
mob was able to free 10 of the detainees.
Ambassador Hilario Davide Jr., the Philippine
Permanent Representative to the UN, said the Philippine Mission is
closely monitoring the situation in Kosovo and is in touch with
Senior Supt. Dencio Duldulao, commander of the 40-member PNP
Peacekeeping Contingent, and Supt. Romeo Pillonar, the senior PNP
officer in Mitrovica.
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