PRISTINA: Kosovo on Saturday asked Serbia to withdraw its forces from their common border, adding it was ready to secure its territorial integrity, Western media reported.
Tensions between the two sides have been high since Sunday when Kosovo police personnel fought about 30 heavily armed Serbs who attacked the village of Banjska in Kosovo. Three attackers and one police official were killed in the clash.
Kosovo Asks Serbia to Withdraw Forces from Border
The clash prompted new global concern over stability in Kosovo. In a statement, the Kosovo government said that they called on President Vucic and Serbia to immediately withdraw all forces from the border with Kosovo.
The statement added that the deployment of Serbian forces along the border with Kosovo is the next stage by Serbia to threaten the territorial integrity of Kosovo.
Earlier, Washington said it was monitoring the situation along the Kosovo border that is undermining stability in the area.
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“Kosovo, in cooperation with global partners, is more determined than ever to secure its territorial integrity,” the statement added.
“The Government of Kosovo has been in touch with the EU countries and the USA about this serious threat from Serbia”, the statement maintained.
NATO, which still has 4,500 forces in Kosovo, said it had “authorized additional troops to address the current situation in the region.
