Serbia demands that NATO takes over the policing of Kosovo’s north after a deadly shootout

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC
Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s president has demanded that NATO-led troops stationed in Kosovo take over the security from Kosovo police in the north of the country. The statement by President Aleksandar Vučić on Tuesday came days after violent clashes between armed Serbs and Kosovo police left one officer and three gunmen dead. The violence on Sunday was one of the worst confrontations in Kosovo since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008. There are around 4,500 KFOR peacekeeping troops stationed in Kosovo. There was no immediate reaction from NATO to Vučić’s request, but it’s highly unlikely that it would be accepted because the primary task of the troops is peacekeeping and not policing.