EU judge remands Kosovo 'terrorism' suspects

(PRISTINA) - An EU judge in Kosovo Wednesday ordered three suspected members of an extremist group which claimed responsibility for attacks on Serbian police in the border region to be held on remand for a month.

The three were arrested on Tuesday by EU and local police in the east of Kosovo, the EU Rule of Law Mission (EUELX) said in a press release, adding that they are "suspected of being members of a terrorist organisation which claimed responsibility for three attacks on Serbian police".

Two of the men are suspected of taking part in the latest attack on October 7, EULEX added.

Three armed attacks have been carried out since May against a police post in Dobrosin in Serbia's tense ethnic Albanian majority Presevo Valley area that borders Kosovo. One policeman was slightly injured by a ricocheting bullet after an attack in June.

An unknown group calling itself the Freedom Movement claimed responsibility for the first two attacks. In a statement sent to the media after the second one, it said that nine members of the organisation carried it out with "automatic rifles (and) large calibre machine guns".

"The operating unit reported that the action was successfully performed and there were no casualties on our side," the organisation said.

Serbia does not recognise the 2008 declaration of independence of majority ethnic Albanian Kosovo and continues to consider the territory its southern province.

The EU launched its biggest civilian mission ever in Kosovo just months after it proclaimed independence. EULEX is mandated to oversee the judiciary and police and take over sensitive cases which local authorities are not able or willing to tackle.