A United Nations police officer injured in the March 17 2008 riots in the Kosovo town of Mitrovica died of his injuries, Serbian broadcaster B92 reported on March 18.

The police officer is a Ukrainian national, a source from the international police said, quoted by B92.

Rioting broke out early in the morning on March 17, when the Serbs living in the Serbian dominated northern part of Mitrovica attacked the UN and Nato forces, who attempted to regain control over UN's Mitrovica court house by arresting the Serbian protesters there.

As a result of the clashes, UN personnel was withdrawn from northern Mitrovica and control was left to Nato's Kosovo Force (KFOR).

The United States, as well as the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and KFOR all condemned yesterday's rioting, the worst since Kosovo declared its secession from Belgrade a month earlier.

Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry also expressed its deep concern with the development of the situation in Northern Kosovo and called upon local Serbian leaders to exert their influence and avert further escalation of the tension.