On the evening of June 18 in Zvečan, an attack with an explosive device suspected to be a hand grenade was carried out according to the Kosovo Police.

The 24-hour police report states that the explosive device was thrown by unidentified individuals.

“No injuries or material damage have been reported. Competent police units have been engaged for further investigative procedures,” the statement says.

In recent days, there has been an increase in incidents of hand grenade attacks in the predominantly Serbian communities in northern Kosovo.

Authorities stated that on the evening of June 16, two hand grenades were thrown in North Mitrovica. According to the Police, one was thrown near the police station and the other near the Technical School.

Furthermore, on the same morning, police stations in Zvečan and North Mitrovica were targeted with hand grenade attacks.

No injuries have been reported from these attacks.

These hand grenade attacks are occurring at a time when tensions in northern Kosovo, predominantly inhabited by Serbs, are escalating.

Tensions began on May 26, when new Albanian mayors of municipalities in the north entered municipal buildings assisted by the Kosovo Police, amid opposition from local Serbs.

Tensions reached a peak on May 29, when in Zvečan, Serbian protesters clashed with members of the NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR. Dozens of people from both sides were injured in the clashes.

Meanwhile, on June 14, tensions worsened after the arrest of three Kosovo police officers. Serbia claimed that they were arrested “deep” within its territory, but Kosovo stated that they were patrolling in the territory of Kosovo, near the border with Serbia in Leposavić.