Context
Eight KFOR soldiers were injured on Thursday as they removed barricades blocking the border with Serbia. A statement issued by the International Force, confirmed the injuries took place as the officers removed blockades put up by ethnic Serbs in September. The barricades were constructed to protest the posting of Albanian Kosovo custom officials at the Jarinje and Brnjak border crossings. NATO troops and KFOR fired tear gas at demonstrators to dispel the crowd.
Serbia and Kosovo have agreed to partly unblock the crossings while officials discuss the withdrawal of Kosovo security personnel from the area. However negotiations have so far failed to reach any agreement.
Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s sovereignty and considers it an UN-governed entity within its territory.
