Kosovo: Casualty count in Strpce market bombing rises to four

Text of report by Radio-Television Kosovo TV on 17 November

[Announcer] Four persons were wounded by an explosion today at Shterpce [Strpce] market. There are no suspects, and the police are continuing investigations.

[Reporter] The explosion of a device placed under a truck here at Shterpce market left four persons wounded. A large number of Kosova [Kosovo] Police Service officers and Kfor [Kosovo Force] forces are at the scene and are conducting a detailed investigation. The explosive device was placed under the truck of an Albanian merchant who was working here and the other three were Serbs, innocent bystanders. The health of the four injured is stable.

[Kosovo Protection Corps Lt Stojan Donic in Serbian with Albanian voiceover] The names of the wounded cannot be revealed because of the ongoing investigation. All I can say is that their lives are not in danger, their wounds do not present a threat to their lives. I have to stress that it still unknown what kind of explosive device we are dealing with here.

[Reporter] The town's municipal president, Stanko Rakovljevic, said that schools and all other institutions are not going to work tomorrow to give time to the investigative units to clarify the case. On Monday [21 November] they will request official reports on the security situation.

[Shterpce deputy president Hamdi Aliu] One thing is known: that there are groups and men in uniform and different services that are illegally operating in many parts of Kosova and especially in Shterpce.

Source: RTK TV, Pristina, in Albanian 1830 gmt 17 Nov 05