UN mission condemns murder of Kosovo Assembly member

The United Nations top official in Kosovo today denounced the murder last night of an ethnic Albanian member of the Kosovo Assembly and of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) led by Ibrahim Rugova.

"UNMIK strongly condemns the brutal murder of one of Kosovo's democratically elected leaders," Mr. Brayshaw said Charles Brayshaw, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Acting Special Representative, said in a statement released today by the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). "UNMIK will do its utmost to apprehend the assailants and to determine the motive for this contemptible act."

According to UN mission police, Ismael Hajdaraj, 50, was travelling in his car near his residence in Pec when he was ambushed by assailants and shot to death. Police say at least two weapons were used.

UN police immediately launched an intensive investigation into the murder.