The Church of St. Nicholas in Banjska Village, near Vucitrn was seriously damaged by explosive on January 30, 2000. The KFOR troops from Arabian Emirates had been stationed near the church until the Sunday (Jan 30) when they left the area without any announcement and the church remained unprotected. According to the UN police investigation 11 kg. of explosive was posted in the altar. After a strong explosion the eastern part of the church was almost completely destroyed.

The local Serbs are blaming Albanian extremists who have threatened them many times. Beside threats and all kinds of attacks local Albanians are stealing cattle from the Serb stables and constantly terrorizing the remaining Serb villagers in that area. Arabian Emirates KFOR is according to their testimony doing nothing to prevent ethnic terror.

Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raska and Prizren

PRISTINA, January 15, 2000 (BBC)

An explosion has partially destroyed Serbian Orthodox Church of
St. Ilia in eastern Kosovo.

The explosion in the predominantly ethnic Albanian village of
Cernica also damaged three houses owned by local Serbs.

Correspondents say Serbs have repeatedly blamed Kosovo Albanians
for the destruction of more than fifty churches since Serb forces
pulled out of the province at the end of NATO's campaign against
Yugoslavia.

Huge amount of explosive was placed on the church entrance and
detonation destroyed almost a half of the church, which was built up
in 1912. American KFOR soldiers, whose check point is some 70 meters
to the church, did not allow villagemen to see the sight till this
morning. Several Serb houses in church vicinity were also damaged.