Nato to send 700 more troops to Kosovo after clashes

Nato is to deploy an further 700 troops to Kosovo aft 30 Nato peacekeepers and 52 protesters were wounded successful clashes connected Monday.

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the attacks were "unacceptable" and "must stop".

Police and Nato troops clashed with Serb protesters successful northbound Kosovo, wherever determination has been unrest implicit the installation of taste Albanian mayors.

Protesters had tried to invade a authorities gathering successful Zvecan.

The situation dates backmost to April, erstwhile taste Serbs boycotted section elections successful northbound Kosovo - allowing taste Albanians to instrumentality power of section councils with a turnout of little than 4%.

Both the European Union and United States person accused the Kosovan authorities of destabilising the concern successful northbound Kosovo, and warned against immoderate actions that could inflame taste tensions there.

Kosovo declared independency from Serbia successful February 2008, aft years of strained relations betwixt its Serb and chiefly Albanian inhabitants.

It has been recognised by the US and large EU countries - but Serbia, backed by its almighty state Russia, refuses to bash truthful - arsenic bash astir taste Serbs wrong Kosovo.

While taste Albanians marque up much than 90% of the colonisation successful Kosovo arsenic a whole, Serbs signifier the bulk of the colonisation successful the bluish region.

Monday's unit successful Zvecan resulted successful 30 troops being hurt, officials said.

Their injuries included fractures and burns from improvised explosive incendiary devices. Three soldiers were besides wounded by firearms.

Serbia and Kosovo's leaders person traded accusations implicit the convulsive scenes.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Kosovan PM Albin Kurti "alone is responsible" for the disturbances.

In return, Mr Kurti claimed the protesters successful Zvecan were "a clump of extremists nether the absorption of authoritative Belgrade".

Mr Stoltenberg of Nato said the subject confederation powerfully condemned "the unprovoked attacks against KFOR troops", successful notation to Nato's peacekeeping unit successful Kosovo.

But taste Serbs successful northbound Kosovo person criticised KFOR for failing to forestall equipped Kosovo constabulary from forcing their mode into municipal buildings and removing Serbian flags.

Tuesday's announcement from Nato provides a important boost to KFOR's numbers. The 700 further troops volition articulation the 3,800 who are already connected work successful Kosovo.

An further reserve battalion has been placed connected standby and volition beryllium acceptable to deploy wrong 7 days, if required.

KFOR's ngo is to warrant the information and state of question of everyone successful Kosovo, careless of their ethnicity.

So the caller troops volition look sizeable expectations from some sides aft this week's disturbances.