PRISTINA, June 30 (Reuters) - Around 300 Serb police officers have returned to work after 16 months of refusing to take orders from Kosovo authorities who declared independence last year, police said on Tuesday.

The Kosovo government and the European Union police and justice mission (EULEX) had given a deadline to the police officers to show up at work by Tuesday.

"Of 325 suspended police officers, 307 of them are back now at their stations," police spokesman Riza Shillova told a news conference.

Kosovo's police force has some 7,000 members. Ten percent of them belong to the Serb minority.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognised by 60 countries. Serbia and its ally Russia have said they will never recognise an independent Kosovo. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci)

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