Nine held in connection with Kosovo war crimes

Investigative judges today ordered that nine former Serb paramilitary fighters be held in jail in connection with the killing of some 40 civilians during Kosovo's war.

The judges said the men must remain in prison for at least a month pending investigation of alleged atrocities against ethnic Albanians in the western Kosovo village of Cuska in May 1999.

Prosecutors said in total 26 former troops were under investigation for "horrific crimes" whose prime motive was looting. The victims burned alive in a village house included pregnant women and elderly people.

The arrests are a sign of the pro-Western government's resolve to deal with the crimes of the Balkan wars as it seeks EU membership.

The war in Kosovo ended after Nato bombed Serbia for 78 days in 1999. Kosovo declared independence in 2008.