KFOR once again reinforces troops on the Ibar Bridge

Photo: YouTube/Kosovo Online

Reinforced tropps of the Italian KFOR, members of the unit for breaking up demonstrations, are again present this morning on the main bridge over the Ibar in Kosovska Mitrovica.

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According to a Tanjug correspondent, the increased presence of KFOR is a regular exercise that should last during the morning.

A cordon of Italian Carabinieri, as well as KFOR vehicles, was deployed on the bridge over the Ibar - whose opening for motor vehicle traffic has been announced by the provisional Pristina institutions - also on September 1.

Earlier, KFOR told Tanjug that additional resources belonging to the Multinational Specialized Unit were temporarily stationed at the main bridge over the Ibar River in Kosovska Mitrovica.

When asked if KFOR reinforced itself on the bridge after the so-called Kosovo police raided Serb institutions in northern Kosovo and after Pristina's announcement that it would open the bridge to traffic, it was stated that the additional deployments are part of periodic training that KFOR conducts in order to "test its long-standing procedures and protect highest operational standards."

KFOR reminded at the time that it is constantly present at the main bridge on the Ibar in Kosovska Mitrovica and that it continues to conduct regular patrols in its vicinity.

The so-called Kosovo police on Friday raided the buildings of the Temporary Authorities of the Government of Serbia in Leposavic, Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvecan and Zubin Potok, as well as the hospital area of the KBC Kosovska Mitrovica clinic, and buildings housing the premises of the PIO (state pension) Fund, the premises of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, the Kosovsko-Mitrovacki Administrative District and the Center for Social Welfare.

Serbs in Kosovo and Belgrade oppose the opening of the bridge for traffic, pointing out that this would jeopardize the safety of Serbs in the Province.

The opening of the bridge is currently opposed by the EU, US, KFOR and the Quint (US, Italy, France, Germany, UK) who say that the issue should be part of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

At the same time, the so-called Kosovo police have been blocking the buildings belonging to Serb institutions in the north of Kosovo and Metohija for a sixth day.

Signs have been put on these buildings with inscriptions of ministries of the provisional government in Pristina, while the names of Serb institutions have been removed.

Deputy leader of the Serbian List Dragisa Milovic said that the Serb presidents of the temporary authorities in Kosovo and Metohija are being asked to give statements because of an allegedly forged signature.

"I have information that certain presidents of temporary bodies and directors of these institutions of ours are being asked to report to the regional (police) unit in the north on September 5 and give statements about an allegedly forged signature," Milovic told RTS.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)