About 25 KFOR forces injured in Kosovo clashes
About 25 NATO-led peacekeepers in Kosovo were wounded on Monday in clashes with Serbs protesting over Albanian authorities taking control of municipality offices in the northern part of the disputed region.
"While countering the most active fringes of the crowd, several soldiers of the Italian and Hungarian KFOR contingent were the subject of unprovoked attacks and sustained trauma wounds with fractures and burns due to the explosion of incendiary devices," KFOR noted in a statement as tensions in the region continued to increase.
Serbs boycotted local elections in four dominantly Serbian municipalities in northern Kosovo a month ago, citing pressures from Albanian authorities. In response to the latest escalation, the Serbian military was relocated to the administrative border and put into full combat readiness last Friday.
"The unprovoked attacks on NATO units are unacceptable, and KFOR will continue to fulfill its mandate impartially," KFOR Commander Angelo Michele Ristuccia stressed.