A battalion of Turkish commandos has arrived in northern Kosovo, in response to NATO’s request for help to reduce tensions. A convoy loaded with equipment is reported to have headed to the Balkan country by land.

NATO announced last Tuesday that it would send 700 troops to reinforce its presence in the area. Currently, KFOR consists of 3,800 troops, including 350 from Turkey.

Violent protests by the Serbian minority last week left several dozen NATO soldiers injured, including with fractures and burns from improvised explosive devices.

Everything started after earlier Albanian representatives were elected in an electoral process boycotted by the Serbian minority, who then entered the municipal buildings to take office, but were blocked by Serbs.

On Sunday, Serbian women placed wreaths next to barbed wire in protest against the Kosovo authorities.

They demand that the mayors and Kosovo police be withdrawn from the official buildings and that two Serbs arrested during the protests be released again.