NATO's Joint Force Command (JFC) Naples has announced the deployment of additional troops to Kosovo in support of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) peacekeeping mission. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has confirmed the deployment, with 700 soldiers set to be sent to the Balkan country.

According to the sources, following a clash that resulted in injuries to KFOR personnel, NATO has decided to deploy additional troops to Kosovo. The confrontations occurred as ethnic Albanian mayors were being escorted by Kosovo police into Serb-majority towns and cities, triggering violent riots.

Stoltenberg shared during a press briefing in Oslo after his meeting with Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Store on Tuesday, “We have decided to deploy 700 more troops from the operational reserve force for the Western Balkans.”

“In response to recent unrest and the injury of 30 members of NATO’s Kosovo Force, NATO has directed the deployment of the Operational Reserve Forces (ORF) for the Western Balkans, which was on a seven-day readiness-to-deploy status,” JFC Naples confirmed. Furthermore, an additional reserve battalion will be prepared to enhance readiness, ensuring its capability to deploy within a seven-day timeframe if the need arises.

According to Allied Joint Force Command (JFC) Naples Commander Admiral Stuart B. Munsch, “The deployment of additional NATO forces to Kosovo is a prudent measure to ensure that KFOR has the capabilities it needs to maintain security in accordance with our UN Security Council mandate.”

Munsch commended KFOR for, “taking swift, restrained, and professional action to intervene to stop the unrest and save lives.” He added, “The violence must stop, and all sides must stop taking actions to undermine the peace in any and all communities of Kosovo.”

In Kosovo, rising tensions between ethnic Serbs and Albanians have led to clashes between NATO-led peacekeeping troops and Serb protestors. The confrontations occurred in response to the election of ethnic Albanian mayors in Serb-majority regions, which the Serb communities had boycotted. Tear gas and stun grenades were reportedly deployed by KFOR forces in Zvecan, resulting in injuries to two members of the multinational contingent.

According to reports, the Kosovo Force (KFOR) has reportedly employed tear gas and stun grenades to disperse protestors in Zvecan, a town predominantly populated by Serbs and situated 45 kilometers (28 miles) away from Pristina. As per KFOR statements, the altercation resulted in injuries to approximately two soldiers belonging to the multinational contingent.

As per KFOR's account, the incident unfolded when the soldiers from the Italian and Hungarian KFOR contingent encountered unprovoked attacks while confronting the most active sections of the crowd. The soldiers allegedly sustained trauma wounds, including fractures and burns caused by the explosion of incendiary devices.

The injuries suffered by the KFOR soldiers underscore the challenging circumstances faced by peacekeeping forces when striving to uphold peace and stability in such volatile environments.

Image source: Reuters