Belgrade  - Serbian officials launched an investigation against five former policemen suspected of war crimes during the 1998-99 Kosovo war.

The office of the war crimes prosecutor requested "an investigation against five former members of the special police unit suspected of committing war crimes against civilians and prisoners of war," a statement said.

The prosecution ordered their detention, the statement said, adding that "this is not an action against policemen who defended their country in 1999".

The Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia in February acquitted former Serbian president Milan Milutinovic, but handed long prison sentences to five other high- ranking Serbian army and police officials for crimes committed against Albanians in Kosovo in 1999.

Serbia lost control over Kosovo in 1999 after NATO bombing of then Yugoslavia. Nine years later, in February 2008 Albanian majority in Kosovo declared independence.

More than 55 countries, including the United States and most of the EU recognized Kosovo, while Serbia backed by Russia bitterly opposes it. (dpa)