Number Of NATO Soldiers Injured In Northern Kosovo Clashes Rises To 30

The number of NATO peacekeeping forces injured from clashes with protesting Serbs in Kosovo rose to 30, the alliance announced Tuesday.

According to a statement, 11 Italian and 19 Hungarian soldiers with the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo (KFOR) sustained multiple injuries, including fractures and burns from improvised explosive incendiary devices.

Three Hungarian soldiers were also wounded by the use of firearms, but their injuries are not life-threatening, said the statement.

The injured personnel are currently under observation at a health facility.

Earlier reports suggested 25 injured soldiers.

Tensions have gripped Kosovo with protesters and security forces clashing in the country's northern Serb-dominated municipalities over the election of ethnic Albanian mayors. Albanians are the largest ethnic group is Kosovo, followed by Serbians, especially in the north, near the border with Serbia.

Meanwhile, more than 53 civilians suffered injuries from shock bombs and tear gas, hospital sources said.

One person had surgery and is in intensive care, said Zlatan Elek, director of the Clinical Hospital Center in Mitrovica, a Serb-dominated municipality which was the scene of clashes.

US, Germany condemn violence

Germany and the US condemned the incidents of violence in the region.

"We condemn in the strongest terms the unacceptable violent attacks in northern Kosovo this afternoon, causing dozens of KFOR/NATO soldiers and several civilians to be injured. Our thoughts are with the injured, whom we wish a speedy recovery," the German Foreign Ministry said in a statement calling for "an immediate halt to all violence."

US Ambassador to Kosovo Jeff Hovenier also denounced the violence, saying on Twitter: "The U.S. strongly condemns the violent actions of protesters in Zvecan today, including the use of explosives, against NATO's forces. Troops seeking to keep the peace. We reiterate our call for an immediate halt to violence or actions that inflame tensions or promote conflict."

Contentious mayoral elections

Since Monday morning, Serb protesters have gathered outside the Serb-dominated Zvecan Municipality in northern Kosovo to bar newly elected Albanian mayors from entering municipal buildings.

The protesters attempted to breach the police cordon in front of the town hall, the police said in a statement, adding that they used tear gas to disperse the crowd.

KFOR units also used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the protesters, who did not retreat and responded with stones and sticks.

Last month, Kosovo Serbs boycotted extraordinary local government elections for four municipalities in the country's north. Only 3.47% of eligible voters cast ballots, according to the Kosovo Central Election Commission (KQZ).

After the elections, the EU said in a statement that low turnout did not provide the municipalities with long-term political solutions.

As tensions rose in the region, neighboring Serbia ordered its army to advance to the border with Kosovo – which Serbia claims to be its own territory – and urged NATO to "stop the violence against local Serbs in Kosovo."

Kosovo Serbs on Saturday called on Vucic to suspend the ongoing dialogue process for normalizing relations with Kosovo, whose 2008 independence neighboring Serbia has never recognized.

The EU requires Kosovo and Serbia to reach a final agreement and resolve disputes to progress in their integration into the bloc. -