Serbia's last major war crimes fugitive, a Croatian Serb wartime leader indicted for crimes against humanity during the 1991-95 Croatian war, has been arrested.
Goran Hadzic was a key figure in the breakaway Krajina Serb republic in Croatia.
After the arrest of wartime General Ratko Mladic earlier this year, he was Serbia's last remaining figure sought by the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
Serbia's President Boris Tadic confirmed the arrest at a news conference this morning.
Hadzic is charged with ordering the killing of hundreds and the deportation of thousands of Croats and other non-Serbs from the area.
The European Union, which hailed Belgrade for finding Mladic in May, has continued to insist on the arrest of Hadzic for Serbia to make progress towards EU membership.
Hadzic lived openly in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad until 13 July 2004, when The Hague sent an indictment and arrest warrant to Belgrade.
He fled immediately, tipped off by nationalist hardliners in Serbia's security services.
His escape was kept a secret for days, while relatives said he was at home and police denied having orders to arrest him. The Hague later made public surveillance pictures showing him leaving his house with a bag on the afternoon of 13 July.
In Serbia, Hadzic gained notoriety in the past for his involvement in murky deals including illegal exports of oak wood, wine and crude oil from an oil well which was under Serb control.
He was frequently seen in the company of Zeljko 'Arkan' Raznatovic, a paramilitary leader and the head of Belgrade's underworld at the time.
EU and NATO welcome arrest
The EU has welcomed the arrest of Hadzic and said it was an important step towards fulfilling Belgrade's EU ambitions.
'The European Union strongly welcomes the arrest of Goran Hadzic by Serbia's authorities.
'This is a further important step for Serbia in realising its European perspective and equally crucial for international justice.'
The statement was issued on behalf of European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
NATO's Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also hailed the capture of Hadzic.
'This arrest will allow for the most painful chapter in recent European history to be closed,' he said in a statement.
