UN targeted in Kosovo explosions

Streets have been cordoned off for police investigations

The UN mission has been attacked in at least three explosions that rocked the Kosovo capital Pristina.

No-one was injured in the blasts that happened within minutes of each other shortly after nightfall.

As well as the UN, blasts also happened outside the offices of Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and a government building.

A BBC correspondent says there has been an upsurge in politically-motivated violence in Kosovo in recent months.

Eyewitnesses said the first explosion happened in the car park of the UN mission headquarters, part of a secure compound where vehicles have to be checked for explosive devices upon entry.

At least three UN cars were set ablaze.

A short time later, explosions happened outside the OSCE and a Kosovo government building not far away.

Streets around the affected buildings were cordoned off as UN police and local police carried out patrols of the area.

Major review

UN mission spokesman Remi Dourlot was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying it was too early to know the reasons behind the blasts.

"It's not the first time such a thing happens. We had some attacks in March when [Prime Minister Ramush] Haradinaj resigned," he said.

"At the moment I don't know if we were the target of these attacks."

Kosovo has been under UN administration since 1999, when Nato intervened to stop Serb forces driving out the ethnic Albanian majority.

The BBC's Matt Prodger in Belgrade says the latest explosions come during a major review of Kosovo's progress under international administration.

The Albanian population is impatient for independence from Serbia and Montenegro.