French police have arrested the former prime minister of Kosovo based on a Serbian arrest warrant for alleged war crimes.

Ramush Haradinaj served as a rebel commander in the 1998-1999 Kosovo conflict, which eventually led to the Kosovo declaring independence.

He twice faced war crimes charges at the UN, but was acquitted both times.

Kosovo's foreign ministry said his arrest was unacceptable, and that it was working to secure his release.

Mr Haradinaj, now an opposition leader in Kosovo, was arrested by police at Basel Mulhouse Freiburg airport in eastern France.

Authorities said they were acting on an arrest warrant from Serbia. Mr Haradinaj was briefly detained by Slovenian police in 2015 but soon released.

He was a commander in the Kosovo Liberation Army during the 1990s conflict, and Serbia alleges he oversaw a campaign of torture and murder against ethnic Serbs.

He has consistently denied the allegations, and stepped down as prime minister after just 100 days to face the charges.

The judge at his most recent trial in 2012 said there was no evidence to support the claims.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but its status is not recognised by Serbia.

Source: BBC