- Clashes have broken out in northern Kosovo between the NATO-led peacekeeping force KFOR and ethnic Serbs.
- According to NATO, around 25 soldiers were injured. Swiss army personnel are not among them.
- KFOR had previously increased its presence in the Serb-populated north of the country due to ongoing tensions.
Legend:
Riots in Zvecan resulted in tumultuous scenes.
Keystone/EPA/GEORGI LICOVSKI
“Several soldiers from the Italian and Hungarian KFOR contingents were subjected to unprovoked attacks,” NATO wrote in a statement on Twitter. They would have suffered broken bones or burns from the detonation of incendiary devices.
The Italian Ministry of Defense spoke in a statement of 14 injured Italians from the KFOR contingent. 20 Hungarian KFOR soldiers were also among the injured, wrote the Budapest news portal hvg.hu, citing diplomatic circles.
“There are no Swiss army personnel among the injured soldiers,” an army spokesman told SRF News. The Swiss contingent Swisscoy is not active in this part of Kosovo. But the situation would be monitored.
NATO sharply condemned the attacks on KFOR troops: “Such attacks are completely unacceptable. The violence must stop immediately. We call on all sides to refrain from actions that further fuel tensions and to engage in dialogue,” said a spokeswoman for the military alliance. KFOR will take all necessary measures to maintain a secure environment.
Protest against new mayors
The clashes occurred on Monday afternoon when militant Serbs protested against the appointment of new mayors in Zvecan and other municipalities. KFOR soldiers securing the municipal office in Zvecan broke up the protest, which turned violent, local media reported. They used stun grenades and tear gas.
The crowd in turn threw stones, incendiary devices, bottles and other objects at them. A Serb was injured by gunfire, the hospital in the nearby town of Mitrovica said. Another 52 Serbs were hospitalized there with injuries, the hospital said.
The approximately 300 KFOR soldiers had previously taken up positions in combat gear in front of the municipal office in Zvecan on Monday morning. At the same time, a large number of Serbian demonstrators had gathered in front of the official building.
Legend:
Polish soldiers guard a street in Zvercan in northern Kosovo.
Keystone/AP Photo/Marjan Vucetic
The KFOR troops should secure the office building instead of the Kosovan special police. This had gained access to the municipal office last Friday, which had already triggered violent protests by militant Serbs.
Riots at inauguration
The police had escorted the new mayor, an Albanian who wanted to take office. Serbs are also protesting in two other places in northern Kosovo, where Albanian mayors have also taken over.
The three were elected in April, with almost all Serbs boycotting the election. That is why the election winners come from Albanian parties. The previous Serbian mayors resigned their positions in November 2022 in protest against the policies of the Kosovar government.