BBC reports situation in northern Kosovo, attacks on KFOR

British media, BBC, have reported on the situation in northern Kosovo and attacks on the NATO mission in the country, KFOR.

BBC Reports that NATO police and troops clashed with Serb protesters in the north, where there has been unrest for placing Albanian mayors in municipal objects.

Tear gas and stun grenades were used to prevent protesters in Zvecan, as they tried to invade a government building, the BBC writes.

Both the EU and the US have criticised Kosovo authorities for destabilizing the situation in the north and have warned against any action that could fuel ethnic tensions there.

Army on Higher Readiness

Peacekeeping troops from Italy and Hungary were among those injured in the recent violent attacks Monday, where three of them reportedly have remained in serious condition, says NATO, broadcast BBC.

Five people have been arrested in connection with the attacks.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq has declared that more than 50 Serbs needed hospital treatment and that even more were injured.

Meanwhile, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti insisted that security forces were simply ensuring that the mayors of democratically elected municipalities could represent their voters.

NATO-led troops in Zvecan initially tried to separate protesters from police, but later scattered the crowd using shields and clubs, the BBC stressed, as they added that some protesters threw stones and Molotov cocktails on soldiers.

NATO called the attacks “strictly unacceptable”, being in a move that told all parties “to refrain from actions that fuel more tensions and engage in dialogue”.

Vuciq placed the army at higher levels of combat readiness in response to new protests.

He moved army units near the Kosovo border Friday, following similar clashes.