MITROVICA: Kosovo’s Nato-led peacekeepers moved troops through the Serb-dominated north on Thurs­day, a correspondent repor­ted, amid high tensions with Belgrade on the eve of a parliament vote to create a Kosovo army.

A spokesman for the international KFOR forces, which guarantees the security of the former Serbian province, confirmed the deployment and said it was part of “normal exercises all around Kosovo”.

“We have a couple of convoys moving around. One of them is going today to the north,” said KFOR spokesman Vincenzo Grasso, adding that there was no reason for alarm.

During the morning arou­­nd 50 KFOR vehicles moved through the divided city of Mitrovica and headed north in the direction of Leposavic, a mostly Serb municipality in Kosovo, a correspondent said.

Zoran Todic, the top official in Leposavic, confirmed their presence and said the troops were “heavily armed and equipped to prevent demonstrations”.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2018