Petkovic: Officers of Pristina's special police nabbed deep inside central Serbia

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Wednesday an anti-terrorist unit of the Serbian Gendarmerie had located and arrested three officers of the so-called Kosovo's special police in the vicinity of the Gnjilica village in the Raska municipality, deep inside the territory of central Serbia.

At an extraordinary press conference, Petkovic said the three, identified by the initials R Z, B S and M S, had been armed to the teeth.

"The terrorist gang was arrested at 12.38 pm today, deep inside the territory of central Serbia. I would like to note that our police did not set foot in the territory of Kosovo-Metohija and did not violate UNSCR 1244 or the Military-Technical Agreement because they did not cross the administrative line."

He said the three officers of the so-called Kosovo Police, whom he referred to as terrorists, had violated international agreements, and added that Belgrade was ready for an international investigation into who had crossed the administrative line.

"We are absolutely prepared to offer all evidence and we call for launching an international investigation, if necessary. We even call on the Americans and the British to provide satellite images so that it can be seen clearly that, as we have said, Serbian police did not go a millimetre across the administrative line," Petkovic said.

He dismissed as untrue claims by Pristina's interior minister that the arrestees had been "kidnapped."

"What were they doing with long weapons, automatic rifles, maps, GPS devices and other reconnaissance equipment deep inside the territory of central Serbia, in a forest?" Petkovic said.