Serbian authorities issue high alert after ethnic clashes inside Kosovo

Serbian troops on border with Kosovo were put on high alert Friday following clashes inside Kosovo between police and ethnic Serbs that injured more than a dozen people.

Ethnic Serbs in rrn Kosovo, who are a majority in that part of country, had tried to block recently-elected ethnic Albanian officials from entering municipal buildings earlier Friday. Last month’s snap election was largely boycotted by ethnic Serbs and only ethnic Albanian or or smaller mirity representatives were elected in mayoral posts and assemblies.

Kosovo police fired tear gas to disperse crowd and let new officials into offices. Several cars were set ablaze. Kosovo Serb hospital officials said about 10 protesters were injured. Police said five officers were injured as protesters hurled stun grenades and or objects. A police car was burned.

In response to clashes, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he put army on “highest state of alert” and ordered an “urgent” movement of troops closer to border. He also demanded that NATO-led troops stationed in Kosovo protect ethnic Serbs from police.

United States condemned Kosovo’s government for using police to forcibly enter municipal buildings.

“se actions have sharply and unnecessarily escalated tensions, undermining our efforts to help rmalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia and will have consequences for our bilateral relations with Kosovo,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday.

Vucic spoke at a rally Friday evening in Belgrade as tens of thousands of people turned out to support government in wake of two mass shootings earlier this month that killed 18 people and wounded 20 ors, stunning nation.

“We will preserve peace — but I am telling you that Serbia won’t sit idle moment Serbs in rrn Kosovo are attacked,” he told crowd.

Vucic has previously warned that Belgrade would respond to violence against Serbs, and has stepped up combat readiness several times during moments of tension with Kosovo.

However, any attempt by Serbia to send its troops over border would mean a clash with NATO troops stationed re.

Zdravko Pos, a former Serbian army chief turned opposition politician, criticized Vucic’s response as “inappropriate.”

“This is only saber-rattling that serves as face-saving for Vucic,” Pos told N1 regional television network.

Kosovo police ackwledged ir increased presence “to assist mayors of rrn communes of Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok to exert ir right of work.”

New mayors in three rrn communities were prevented from entering municipal buildings, with small groups of Serbs raising ir hands at entrances, apparently to show y were t re to take part in violence, according to Albanian news outlet indexonline.net, which also published photos.

In Zvecan, news website Kosovo-online.com showed clashes with police in front of municipal building, while in Leposavic main square was blocked with cars and trucks.

Local elections were held in four Serb-dominated communes in rrn Kosovo after Serb representatives left ir posts last year. y had resigned in protest because Kosovo authorities’ refused to allow an ethnic Serbian association to coordinate work on education, health care, land planning and ecomic development at local level.

A 2013 Pristina-Belgrade agreement on forming Serb association was later declared unconstitutional by Kosovo’s Constitutional Court, which said plan wasn’t inclusive of or ethnicities and could entail use of executive powers to impose laws.

two sides have tentatively agreed to back a EU plan on how to proceed, but tensions still simmer.

U.S. and EU have stepped up efforts to help solve Kosovo-Serbia dispute, fearing furr instability in Europe as war rs in Ukraine. EU has made it clear to both Serbia and Kosovo y must rmalize relations to advance in ir intentions to join bloc.

conflict in Kosovo erupted in 1998 when separatist ethnic Albanians rebelled against Serbia’s rule, and Serbia responded with a brutal crackdown. About 13,000 people, mostly ethnic Albanians, died. NATO’s military intervention in 1999 eventually forced Serbia to pull out of territory. Washington and most EU countries have recognized Kosovo as an independent state, but Serbia, Russia and China have t.