NATO to send 700 more troops to Kosovo to help quell protests

NATO will send 700 more troops to northern Kosovo to help quell violent protests after clashes with ethnic Serbs there left 30 international soldiers wounded, the alliance announced Tuesday.

The latest violence in the region has stirred fear of a renewal of the 1998-99 conflict in Kosovo that claimed more than 10,000 lives, left more than one million people homeless and resulted in a NATO peacekeeping mission that has lasted nearly one-quarter of a century.

The clashes grew out of a confrontation that unfolded last week after ethnic Albanian officials elected in votes overwhelmingly boycotted by Serbs entered municipal buildings to take office. When Serbs tried to block them, Kosovar police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd.

More violence followed Monday when Serbs clashed with police and NATO peacekeepers.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said an additional reserve battalion would be put on high readiness in case additional troops are needed.

“These are prudent steps,” said Stoltenberg, who made the announcement in Oslo after talks with the Norwegian prime minister.

The NATO-led peacekeeping mission in the region is known as KFOR and currently consists of almost 3,800 troops.

Also Tuesday, KFOR’s multinational peacekeepers used metal fences and barbed-wire barriers to reinforce positions in a northern town that has become a hot spot. The troops sealed off the municipal building in Zvecan, where unrest Monday sent tensions soaring.

A former province of Serbia, Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence is not recognized by Belgrade. Ethnic Albanians make up most of the population, but Kosovo has a restive Serb minority in the north of the country bordering Serbia.

Stoltenberg condemned the violence and warned NATO troops would “take all necessary actions to maintain a safe and secure environment for all citizens in Kosovo.”

He urged both sides to refrain from “further irresponsible behaviour” and to return to EU-backed talks on improving relations.