US concerned: large Serbian military deployment on the border with Kosovo Kosovo’s top Serbian politician Radoicic admits that he attacked police officers

The US government says it is observing a “major” Serbian military deployment on the border with Kosovo. It includes an “unprecedented” array of artillery and tanks, John Kirby, communications director for the National Security Council, said in Washington on Friday. “We call on Serbia to withdraw these troops from the border.”

The U.S. government is concerned about the situation and has been monitoring it for about a week, Kirby said. He described the Serbian military presence on the border as “destabilizing”. He cannot make any statement about the intention at this time. The Serbs are also being pressured through diplomatic channels to withdraw their troops.

Kosovo, now inhabited almost exclusively by Albanians, seceded from Serbia in 1999 with NATO help and declared independence in 2008. More than a hundred countries, including Germany, recognize independence, but not Serbia, which reclaims its former province.

Last Sunday, a 30-strong Serbian commando group took positions in the town of Banjska near Mitrovica and fought with Kosovo police. Three Serb attackers and a Kosovo police officer were killed. NATO announced on Friday that it would strengthen its KFOR protection force in Kosovo. (sda/dpa)