About 25 NATO peacekeepers were injured in clashes with Serbs in northern Kosovo. The NATO-led Kosovo protection force KFOR made this known in a statement on Monday evening. KFOR had increased its presence and violently dispersed a protest by militant Serbs against the taking of office by Albanian mayors in Serb-majority communities in northern Kosovo. Austrians were not affected.
“While fighting against the most active fringe of the crowd, several soldiers of the Italian and Hungarian KFOR contingents were attacked without provocation and suffered injuries with fractures and burns from the explosion of incendiaries,” KFOR said. These attacks are unacceptable: KFOR commander Angelo Michele Ristuccia is said to have said that the troops would continue to carry out their mandate impartially. Austria currently has 273 Bundesheer soldiers deployed to KFOR. They were not among those injured, a Defense Department spokesman told APA on request.
Tear gas and stun grenades
The soldiers had used stun grenades and tear gas in front of the municipal office in the village of Zvecan on Monday afternoon. The mob in turn threw stones, bottles and other objects at them, local media reported. A Serb was injured by gunfire, the hospital in the nearby town of Mitrovica said. According to eyewitnesses, other Serbs suffered minor injuries in the clashes.
On Monday morning, some 300 KFOR soldiers in combat gear took up positions in front of the municipal office in Zvecan. At the same time, a large number of Serb demonstrators had gathered in front of the official building. The KFOR troops should be protecting the office building instead of the Kosovo special police. He had been given access to the city office last Friday, which had already led to violent protests by militant Serbs.
Mayor had to be protected
On Friday, the police accompanied the new Kosovar Albanian mayor who wanted to take office. Serbs had also protested in two other places in northern Kosovo, where Albanian mayors also took over. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic then put the army on “high alert” and sent soldiers to the Kosovo border.
The escalation came on Monday when the Serb mob in Zvecan refused to let Kosovan police vehicles still parked there drive away. The KFOR team then broke off the meeting. The demonstrators are demanding the withdrawal of Kosovo’s security forces from the region. They are also demanding the resignation of mayors from the ethnic Albanian population in the region, which is largely inhabited by ethnic Serbs.
Serbs are boycotting the elections
The three mayors were elected in April, with almost all Serbs boycotting local elections. That is why the election winners come from Albanian parties. The previous Serbian mayors resigned from their positions in November 2022 in protest against the Kosovo government’s policies. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti installed the mayors last week, defying EU and US demands.
Western countries and NATO on Friday condemned the actions of Kosovo police in northern Kosovo with unusual clarity. On Monday, KFOR confirmed in the capital Pristina the strengthening of its presence in the north. “The goal is to create a safe environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo,” it said in a statement.
Kosovo, a country of 1.8 million people, the majority of whom are ethnic Albanians, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade still considers it a Serbian province to this day. About 120,000 Serbs live in Kosovo.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
