The NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR, announced on Wednesday that there will be increased movement of its troops and vehicles in the territory of Kosovo during the following days, in order, as it said, to carry out “normal procedures”.

In a press release on August 16, the International Peacekeeping Force said that “the increase in the movement of KFOR troops and vehicles inside Kosovo is due to the normal procedures of receiving and handing over contingents”.

KFOR added that it will also hold exercises to test and maintain operational capacities, in order to ensure the same level of training and readiness for all future units in the field.

“Until these exercises will be carried out in a way that minimizes the disruption and impact on the local population, there may be traffic delays and the movements of soldiers can be seen. Therefore, KFOR advises drivers to pay special attention if they are near convoys of military vehicles”, said KFOR.

According to the Military-Technical Agreement of Kosovo, which ended the war in Kosovo, KFOR is responsible for the security of the borders of the territory of Kosovo.

KFOR’s exercises come a few months after dozens of its soldiers were injured during a clash with Serb protesters, following the escalation of violence in late May, when Serbs objected to the entry into municipal buildings of the new Albanian mayors of Zvecan, Leposaviq and Zubin Potok.

The violence forced NATO to commit an additional 700 troops to Kosovo, in addition to the 4,000 troops already in the country.