The US government explains that this is an “unprecedented” array of artillery and tanks. The Serbs are also being pressured through diplomatic channels to withdraw their troops.
The US government says it is observing a large Serbian military deployment on the border with Kosovo. It includes an “unprecedented” array of artillery and tanks, National Security Council communications director John Kirby said in Washington on Friday. “We call on Serbia to withdraw these troops from the border.”
The U.S. government is concerned about the situation and has been monitoring it for about a week, Kirby said. He described the Serbian military presence on the border as “destabilising”. Currently, he cannot make any statement about intent. The Serbs are also being pressured through diplomatic channels to withdraw their troops.
KFOR’s protection force will be strengthened
Kosovo, which is now almost exclusively inhabited by Albanians, separated from Serbia in 1999 with the help of NATO and declared independence in 2008. More than 100 countries recognize independence, but not Serbia, which is regaining its former province.
Last Sunday, a 30-member group of Serbian commandos took up positions in the town of Banjska, near Mitrovica, and engaged in battles with Kosovo police. Three Serb attackers and a Kosovar police officer were killed. NATO announced on Friday that it would reinforce its KFOR protection force in Kosovo. (APA)