About 25 members of the NATO-led force (Kfor) were wounded on Monday during clashes in northern Kosovo, where Serb protesters are demanding the withdrawal of Albanian mayors, KFOR said in a statement.

Several soldiers of the Italian and Hungarian contingents of KFOR "were the target of unprovoked attacks and suffered traumatic injuries with fractures and burns due to the explosion of incendiary devices" by "containing the most active fringes of the crowd," the multinational force said in a statement, attacks described as "unacceptable" by the Atlantic Alliance in Brussels.

Municipal elections at the heart of the conflict

In Zvecan, "the demonstrators, using violence and tear gas, tried to break through the security cordons and break into the premises of the municipality," the local police said in a statement.

Serbs, whose political representatives left local institutions in northern Kosovo in November, boycotted municipal elections organized by the Kosovo government in April to end the institutional vacuum.

Incidents had already occurred on Friday in this region when ethnic Albanian mayors went to take office accompanied by the police.

Condemnations of NATO and Italy

NATO on Monday "strongly" condemned "unacceptable" attacks on KFOR troops that caused "injuries". Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also expressed her "strongest condemnation", "absolutely unacceptable and irresponsible".



"We will not tolerate further attacks against KFOR. It is fundamental to avoid further unilateral actions by the Kosovo authorities and that all parties immediately take a step backwards to reduce tensions," she added in a statement. Eleven Italian soldiers were wounded, "three of whom are in serious condition," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in a tweet.

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