LEPOSAVIC, Kosovo (HRWN) – Serbian protesters smashed two cars belonging to journalists in Kosovo’s Leposavic town on Tuesday, a day after 30 NATO soldiers and 52 protesters were hurt in clashes, as EU and NATO officials urged a de-escalation of the violence.
Unrest in the region has intensified since ethnic Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo’s Serb-majority area after April elections that the Serbs boycotted, a move that led the U.S. and its allies to rebuke Pristina on Friday.
NATO said in a statement it would send additional forces to Kosovo to curb the violence, adding it “has directed the deployment of the Operational Reserve Forces (ORF) for the Western Balkans.”
Masked men smashed the windshield of a car with an Albanian licence plate marked as “A2, CNN affiliate,” a Reuters reporter who witnessed the incident said. A separate car belonging to another media outlet was smashed as well. No one was injured.