| The president of Kosovo, an Albanian province of Serbia, has ruled out that alleged al-Qaeda militants could prepare attacks in the UN-administered region, in an interview published on Sunday. "The Kosovo Albanians and I condemn al-Qaeda’s actions but I do not believe that this organisation could be active in Kosovo in any way," Ibrahim Rugova told the Greek newspaper Kathimerini. He insisted there were no people linked to extremists in Kosovo, adding that he was aware of reports that such a threat could exist in the volatile region. "But this is unfounded," he added. "It could be that some people spread such allegations to destabilize Kosovo," he said. Rugova said that Kosovo was standing by the United States and European countries in the fight against extremist violence. The United Nations mission in Kosovo and NATO-led peacekeepers have increased security in the province after receiving a warning about an unspecified threat on Friday. Peacekeepers with the NATO-led force known as KFOR set-up extra checkpoints and stationed armoured vehicles on roads leading to most diplomatic offices, including those of the United States and Britain. Some 20,000 KFOR troops are stationed in Kosovo and are in charge of security in the province. Another 3,500 UN police and 6,000 local officers are responsible for law and order. "We now know that a specific threat has been made towards international organisations in Kosovo," KFOR spokesman Chris Thompson said. |