Two Albanians killed in Kosovo

The killings come amidst continued tension

Two ethnic Albanians have been killed and a third injured in northern Kosovo, according to UN officials.

The first incident happened when a group of 15 Serbs attacked and killed two men in the village of Cubrelj.

A few hours later a third ethnic Albanian man was attacked in the village of Kotore to the north of Cubrelj and had to be evacuated to hospital in Pristina by K-For troops.

It is not known where the assailants came from or where they escaped to, but the same group is believed to be responsible for both incidents.

The attacks came as celebrations to mark the first anniversary of the end of the war in Kosovo were taking place in the regional capital Pristina.

Thirty thousand attended celebrations in Pristina

Thirty thousand people gathered in the main stadium to watch a parade of the Kosovo Protection Corps, the successors to the Kosovo Liberation Army.

Six hundred troops dressed in military syle uniforms, with some carrying Kalashnikov machine guns, marched through the city before entering the arena.

Increase in violence

The anniversary comes amidst an increase in inter-ethnic violence in the province, with nine Serbs killed in the last three weeks.

Local Albanian leaders have come under increasing pressure from the international community to try to quell the violence.

One year on, ethnic violence continues

Several politicians used the rally to appeal for tolerance, saying Albanians need to prove they have the capacity to run Kosovo once the international community has left.

However, our correspondent says such calls for tolerance are unlikely to be helped by this latest round of killings.

Some UN officials claim the violence is being deliberately engineered in order to mar the first anniversary of UN control in the province.