- Clashes have broken out in northern Kosovo between the NATO-led peacekeeping force KFOR and ethnic Serbs.
- According to NATO, 25 soldiers were injured.
- KFOR 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 continents 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. NATO called the attacks unacceptable.
KFOR troops had previously been deployed to four municipalities in northern Kosovo. Around 300 soldiers in combat gear took up positions in front of the municipal office in Zvecan, a reporter from the German Press Agency reported. At the same time, a large number of Serbian demonstrators gathered in front of the official building.
“The goal is to create a safe environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo,” confirmed KFOR in the capital Pristina in a statement strengthening its presence in the north. At the same time, Belgrade and Pristina have been urged to engage in the EU-led dialogue aimed at reducing tensions.
Riots at inauguration
Clashes broke out in Zvecan last Friday after militant Serbs attacked Kosovan police officers. The police had escorted the new mayor, an Albanian who wanted to take office. Serbs had also protested in two other places in northern Kosovo, where Albanian mayors also took office.
The three mayors 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.
Legend:
Polish soldiers guard a street in Zvercan in northern Kosovo.
Keystone/AP Photo/Marjan Vucetic
Western countries, including Germany, as well as NATO had condemned the actions of the Kosovan police in northern Kosovo with unusual clarity on Friday. Several people were injured in the clashes.