By RIA Novosti
Belgrade : Serbian protesters occupying a UN court building in a town north of Kosovo clashed early Monday with UN forces which stormed the building, a police spokesman said.
The operation to retake the UN building in the city of Mitrovica triggered the most serious clash between peacekeeping forces and Serbs since Kosovo unilaterally declared independence a month ago.
A total of 14 Ukrainian police, part of the UN force, and at least 20 Serbs were also injured when protestors lobbed grenades at them.
Early on Monday, the UN court building was surrounded and stormed by the UN police force and NATO peacekeepers. Eyewitnesses said 53 people were arrested.
The people occupying the building were former court employees who lost their jobs when Kosovo became a UN protectorate in 1999 following conflict between Serbs and ethnic Albanians.
Kosovo declared unilateral independence from Kosovo Feb 17. The US and the majority of the European countries have recognized Kosovo.