May 30 (SeeNews) - The NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo, KFOR, said on Tuesday that 30 of their soldiers were injured as they confronted ethnic Serbian protestors in the Serbian-dominated northern part of the country after newly-elected ethnic Albanian mayors attempted to assume office last week.
“KFOR always operates with firmness and restraint, within strict Rules of Engagement. In this case, it responded to the unprovoked attacks of a violent and dangerous crowd, whilst carrying out its UN mandate in an impartial manner,” it said in a social media post.
The injuries are not life-threatening, KFOR noted.
The situation seems to have calmed but remains delicate, Kosovo police said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
KFOR increased its presence in the municipalities of Northern Mitrovica, Leposaviq, Zvecan and Zubin Potok, in response to Serbian attempts to block the newly elected mayors from entering municipalities on Friday. The mayors were selected in preemptive elections with a 3.45% participation rate, after the Serbian party decided to boycott the vote, local media reported in April.
Last week, Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic put the country's army on full combat alert.
Serbian army units have been deployed close to the Kosovo border, defence minister Milos Vucevic has said.
Reacting to rising tension, representatives of the United States and the European Union called on the Kosovo authorities to step back.
“We condemn Kosovo’s decision to force access to municipal buildings in northern Kosovo despite our call for restraint. We call on Kosovo’s authorities to immediately step back and de-escalate, and to closely coordinate with EULEX and KFOR,” France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and the US said in a joint statement on May 26.