An explosion has partially destroyed a Serbian Orthodox church in eastern Kosovo.

The explosion in the predominantly ethnic Albanian village of Cernica also damaged houses owned by Serbs. Correspondents say Serbs have repeatedly blamed Kosovo Albanians for the destruction of more than fifty churches since Serb forces pulled out of the province at the end of NATO's campaign against Yugoslavia. In a separate incident international peace forces intervened between Serb and ethnic Albanian crowds in the northwestern town of Kosovska Mitrovica.

A K-FOR spokesman said two ethnic Albanians sustained head injuries.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service