By Talha Ozturk
BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday said the alliance has approved additional forces for the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo (KFOR).
“Since May, we have enhanced KFOR’s presence and posture. Only yesterday the North Atlantic Council authorized additional forces to address the current situation,” said Stoltenberg in a written statement following a fight between police and gunmen on Sunday that left an officer dead and another wounded in Banjska village in Kosovo.
Stoltenberg said that the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo – Kosovo Force (KFOR) – will always take all necessary actions to maintain a safe and secure environment.
He called on Serbia and Kosovo to urgently de-escalate the tension.
“We call on all parties to urgently de-escalate. We continue to urge Belgrade and Pristina to engage in the EU-facilitated dialogue as the only way to resolve outstanding issues and reach solutions that respect the rights of all communities. This is key for lasting security in Kosovo and stability in the region,” said Stoltenberg.
On Sunday, a clash broke out in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo near the Serbian border when a group of armed Serbs blocked a bridge with two trucks. A shootout erupted after the group opened fire on police, leaving one police officer dead and another injured.
The area has been the scene of unrest since April, when local ethnic Serbs boycotted elections in northern Kosovo, followed by protests against the election of ethnic Albanian mayors.
Albanians are by far the largest ethnic group in Kosovo, followed by Serbs, with about half living in the country's north.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and gained recognition from many countries, including Türkiye. But Belgrade has never recognized Kosovo and claims that its territory is still part of Serbia.