(February 22, Belgrade, Sri Lanka Guardian) Serbian nationalists opposed to Kosovo's independence set fire to the US embassy in Belgrade after a massive rally in the Serbian capital on Thursday.Several hundred young men dressed in hooded sports tops and scarfs broke into the premises on the main boulevard of Kneza Milosa.
The embassy was unstaffed at the time of the attack.
The ground floor and a side building were burning, with smoke billowing out as anti-riot police backed up by armoured vehicles fought the young men with tear gas.
"There are a number of Serbian citizens ... on a part of the embassy compound, in the consular area," US State Department spokesman spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters in Washington.
He urged Serbian authorities to take control of the situation.
One policeman was injured as the protesters pelted the embassy with stones and flares, Beta news agency quoted emergency services worker Nada Macura as saying.
Down the road from the US embassy, a guard house was also set alight in front of the German embassy, while a car was alight outside of the Canadian diplomatic mission.
The fire at the embassy was brought under control about an hour after the attack began.
The attack came after more than 150,000 people rallied in front of the old Yugoslav parliament nearby, in a peaceful government-organised rally against the independence of Kosovo.
Several thousand people were in the area during the attack, which came after protestors attacked and caused minor damage to the Bosnian, Croatian and Turkish embassies. (Agencies)
 Serbian nationalists opposed to Kosovo's independence set fire to the US embassy in Belgrad...){kind=link}
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