The NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, announced on Sunday that it has withdrawn its units from the municipality building of Zvecan, assessing that the security situation in the northern city of Kosovo has stabilized.

In a media statement, however, KFOR said that these units from the Reserve Operational Forces Battalion will remain in this part of the country “to conduct regular patrols, in order to ensure a safe environment for all people” living in the municipality of Zvecan.

At the beginning of last year, NATO had announced the addition of 700 troops from this battalion to the north, following the increase in violence and tensions in this part of the country.

Tensions in northern Kosovo began to escalate on May 26, 2023, when Serbs in Leposavic, Zvecan, and Zubin Potok opposed the entry into municipal buildings of newly elected Albanian mayors – elected in the April elections of that year.

These elections were boycotted by local Serbs and Serbian parties.

Violence peaked in Zvecan on May 29, 2023, when Serbian protesters clashed with the NATO peacekeeping forces in Kosovo, KFOR. Dozens of soldiers and protesters were injured during the clashes.

KFOR currently has over 4,400 troops in Kosovo.