CNN INTERNATIONAL - WORLD NEWS 03/16/00 KOSOVO COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: Peacekeeping troops and civilians did come to blows Wednesday in the divided town of Mitrovica. CNN's David Compton has more on the persistent conflict in Kosovo.</s>DAVID COMPTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The crowd of angry Serbs threw rocks and stones. The French peacekeepers fired back with tear gas and stun grenades. The confrontation triggered when NATO troops took control of a key bridge in the ethnically divided city. Wednesday's clash was the latest in a series of violent incidents that have left at least nine people dead and scores wounded.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very brutal action from French -- I don't know French or American. French, but looks like American. And we are not satisfied. We will not accept it.</s>COMPTON: Mitrovica has suffered de facto partition between Serbs and ethnic Albanians since the international community assumed control of Kosovo last June. The NATO force, KFOR, is trying to reduce tensions by creating a so-called confidence zone around the city's two main bridges. But confrontations continue. Militant ethnic Albanians stepped up attacks against Serb villagers and police. Recently, such attacks have been taking place in southern Serbia, particularly in the Presevo Valley region where a new ethnic Albanian militia has been active. Western leaders are growing increasingly concerned. And their patience is wearing thin. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Rubin just wrapped up a three-day trip to the region in which he urged ethnic Albanian leaders to halt the violence.</s>JAMES RUBIN, SPOKESMAN, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE: And we let them know that if this didn't stop that they were going to lose some of that support. And that's not what they want.</s>COMPTON: U.S. commanders in Kosovo are reportedly now evaluating whether more troops will be needed to prevent a full-fledged conflict from erupting between the two ethnic groups. David Compton, CNN.
NATO Force, KFOR, Is Trying To Reduce Tensions In The Divided  Town Of Mitrovica, Kosovo