Militia suspects arrested in Kosovo

Nato forces have increased security in the border zone

Reports from Kosovo say British soldiers have arrested nine suspected armed ethnic Albanian paramilitaries near the province's tense frontier with Serb-controlled territory.

A British army spokesman, Major Tim Pierce, said the armed group was detained on Saturday night after they had been challenged by Royal Marines manning an observation post near the village of Zegra.

"The men threw down their weapons and attempted to escape. There was a hot pursuit and the patrol apprehended nine suspects," the spokesman said.

He added that one suspect had managed to escape.

He said the suspected rebels, who were entering United Nations-administered Kosovo at the time, wore camouflage uniforms and carried two rifles each.

Accord

Reports say the rebels belong to the Liberation Army of Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac - the name is a reference to areas bordering on Kosovo which, like Kosovo itself, have an ethnic Albanian majority.

Serbs have expressed concern over the incursions

Last month, Nato brokered an accord between Serbian authorities and the rebels to reduce tension in the border region.

This followed increasing concern in Belgrade that Kosovo was being used as a base for separatist attacks within Serb-administered territory.

Nato commanders in Kosovo have in recent days deployed 250 British and Scandinavian troops close to the border, in an attempt to stop Kosovo-based separatists from crossing the border.