Serbia: Tension in northern Kosovo – Serbian Defense Ministry denies army entry

Pristina’s decision to replace all Serbian license plates is causing tension in northern Kosovo. This afternoon the sirens sounded in all the cities of northern Kosovo where the Serbs are in the majority.

Two arterial roads leading to the administrative border with Serbia were blocked by Serbs who set up barricades by placing heavy trucks perpendicular to the road. The Serbs blocked the roads after receiving information that the special forces of the Kosovo Police were heading towards the administrative border with Serbia. This information was denied by the commander of the northern sector of the police of the city of Mitrovica, Besim Hoti. In the northern part of the city of Mitrovica, the Serbs are demonstrating in the central square at the same time in the southern part of the city, according to press reports, the Albanians are also preparing rallies.

Strong police forces and soldiers of the international peacekeeping force KFOR have been deployed along the Ibar River that separates the northern and southern parts of Mitrovica.

The Ministry of Defense of Serbia denies all the information spread on the Internet about the entry of the Serbian army into Kosovo. “Due to the large amount of misinformation deliberately spread by Pristina and the information spread by fake accounts on social media and some websites, in which it is stated that there have been clashes between the Serbian army and the so-called Kosovo police, the Ministry of Defense announces: At the moment, the Serbian army has not crossed the administrative line and has not entered the territory of Kosovo in any way,” the statement said.

It is noted that since the early afternoon on social media and on websites from Ukraine and Russia, false information was being spread about armed clashes between the Serbian army and Albanians in northern Kosovo, where there were also casualties.