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Serbia says it has reduced troop presence near Kosovo

October 2, 2023

Serbia has cut nearly half the number of troops on its border with Kosovo, as international concerns mounted over one of the more severe escalations between Belgrade and Pristina in recent years.

https://p.dw.com/p/4X3VE
Kosovo police show a cache of weapons and ammunition seized from a Serbian armed group suspected of terrorism
Kosovo's authorities allege that the militants had backing from Serbia, while Serbia says they were disgruntled local residents in northern KosovoImage: Vudi Xhymshiti/VX/picture alliance

Serbia said it had pulled some of its forces back from the border with Kosovo.

"The operational regime of the [Serbian army] units... tasked with securing the administrative line with Kosovo is back to normal," Serbian Army Chief of staff General Milan Mojsilovic said on Monday.

He said the number of troops had been reduced from 8,350 to 4,500.

Tensions between Belgrade and Pristina soared in late September when Kosovo police were involved in a shootout with around 30 armed Serbs who barricaded themselves in a Serbian Orthodox monastery.

A Kosovo policeman and three of the attackers were killed in the incident.

Clashes spark fear of escalation

Mojsilovic expressed surprise over a "deep concern of some" about Serbian forces deployed during the "security crisis."

The incident in Banjska has raised concern in the West about possible instability in the Balkans.

On Sunday, NATO announced that it would be deploying 600 additional troops to Kosovo to assist KFOR peacekeepers already comprised of around 4,500 troops.

Kosovo seeks NATO assistance as ethnic tensions rise

The United States on Friday called the Serbian military deployment a matter of concern and urged the country to pull its forces back from the border.

In Brussels, European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said the military buildup near Kosovo was "very concerning and needs to stop immediately."

On Saturday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Barbock urged Serbia to reduce its troops and added tensions between the two countries must be reduced to maintain peace and security.

Kosovo says drone images show Serbian attackers in training

Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Saturday shared drone images on X, formerly Twitter, that allegedly show Serbian paramilitaries training for the Banjska attack.

He said they had enjoyed "the full support and planning of the Serbian state" with a broader plan to "annex" the north of Kosovo.

Serbia's Defense Minister Milos Vucevic on Monday rejected this allegation. His ministry says the attackers were local ethnic Serbs fed up with constant harassment from the Kosovo government.

Milan Radoicic, a politician from Kosovo's Serb List political party, admitted to organizing the attack, his lawyer said.

Serbia does not formally acknowledge the independence of Albanian-majority Kosovo, which unilaterally seceeded in 2008.

Ethnic Albanians form over 90% of Kosovo's population, but ethnic Serbs predominantly inhabit the northern part of Kosovo.

lo/msh (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)