PRISTINA, March 26 (Xihua) -- Special units of Kosovo police on Monday detained the director of the Kosovo office in the Serbian government, Marko Djuric, for alleged illegal entry into Kosovo.
Djuric was detained in Mitrovica North as he was in a meeting with local Serbs. Shock bombs and tear gas was used in the operation to disperse citizens who had gathered around the building in which the meeting was taking place. After the detention, Djuric was transferred to Pristina by a specialized operational unit of Kosovo police.
Kosovo authorities rejected on Friday Djuric's request to visit Kosovo. However, he entered Kosovo on Monday morning, in a move deemed illegal by Kosovo authorities.
Kosovo authorities deployed special police units in Mitrovica North earlier in the day, following the decision of the Kosovo government to ban Djuric and Serbian Minister of Defense Aleksandar Vulin from entering.
"Neither Djuric nor Vulin have permission to enter Kosovo today. Anyone who enters illegally in Kosovo will be arrested," Kosovo Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli wrote on Facebook.
Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Enver Hoxhaj said, "Djuric's entry into Kosovo is in violation of the law, constitutional order and the Brussels agreement."
During the EU-facilitated dialogue in Brussels, Pristina and Belgrade reached an agreement on the procedures for the visit of high officials.
Nikola Selakovic, Secretary of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, called Djuric's arrest a "scandalous act by the Pristina authorities", local media reported.
"It is scandalous because it was terror of armless people, the arresting of people who did not provide resistance, had no weapons and didn't pose a threat to anyone," Selakovic said at a press conference in Mirovica North after the detention of Djuric.
Following the detention of Djuric, hundreds of Serbs gathered in Mitrovica North to protest the police operation, though the situation remained calm.
Kosovo police announced that Djuric will be deported to Serbia through the cross border point Merdare. Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said that Djuric was on the way to Serbia.
Kosovo is a southern province of Serbia, which unilaterally declared independence in 2008. Serbia rejects it and considers Kosovo its own province.
