(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-02-24 10:22

PRISTINA - The European Union (EU) has removed its staff from the northern part of Kosovo's flash point town of Mitrovica, said Pieter Feith, head of the mission, on Saturday.

Kosovo Serb students wear traditional caps during a protest in the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica. The European Union has withdrawn staff from a divided Kosovo city following violent protests by the Serb minority, an EU envoy said Saturday as Russia warned Kosovo's independence could increase terrorism. [Agencies]

The staff were withdrawn indefinitely to southern part of the city for security reasons.

"We have temporarily brought back our personnel. But we will maintain our office in the north," Feith told reporters in the southern Kosovo town of Prizren.

The EU staff in Mitrovica have been preparing a 2,000-strong EU police and justice mission in Kosovo after its unilateral declaration of independence.

Related readings:  Recognition of Kosovo "terrible precedent": Putin  US asks some diplomats to leave Serbia  Belgrade's US Embassy set on fire  EU defense ministers to hold informal meeting with Kosovo on agenda  China to send fifth contingent of peacekeepers to Kosovo

Feith hoped that the situation in Mitrovica will improve in the very near future so that the EU staff can resume their activities there.

Feith urged the Serb community to open their hearts, and cooperate with the EU mission. He said the mission's projects due to be implemented together with the Kosovo government are in the benefit of the Serb community.

On Saturday, hundreds of Serbs protested in north Mitrovica, in the sixth day in a row. No incident is reported.

However, gunshots were heard in the northern part of Mitrovica early Saturday morning. Kosovo police are investigating the incident. No casualties were reported.

The protest in Mitrovica turned nasty on Friday when protestors hurled stones, bottles and fire crackers at UN police guarding the bridge that separates the Serb community from ethnic Albanians.

A local police officer described the situation as an expression of anger, rather than an attack on the police.

On Friday afternoon, the Kosovo security authorities reopened the border with Serbia after a partial closure of several hours.

The border was closed on Friday morning following violent protests in the Serbian capital of Belgrade. There were fears that Serbs from Serbia proper may cross into the border into Kosovo to join protests in northern Kosovo.

Hundreds of Serbian citizens were denied entry into Kosovo. Kosovo police officers said only persons who were likely to join the protests in Mitrovica were stopped.

Some 120,000 Serbs live in the ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia on Sunday. About half of Kosovo Serbs live in the north and the rest in enclaves throughout Kosovo.

Kosovo's independence has won recognition by the United States and major European countries, but is firmly opposed by Serbia and its ally Russia.