Rakic: Security measures stepped up in Kosovska Mitrovica

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Security measures have been stepped up in Kosovska Mitrovica following a series of incidents and heightened tensions over the past week, town Mayor Goran Rakic said on Friday.

The decision to step up security was taken on Thursday at a meeting of the mayors of the four northern Kosovo municipalities, the regional chiefs of the Kosovo Police and Ljubomir Maric - a Serb minister in the Kosovo government - with Kfor commander Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, Eulex chief Gabrielle Meucci and the head of the EU Office in Kosovo Samuel Zbogar.

All participants of the meeting expressed utmost concern over the situation in Mitrovica and unanimously decided to step up the security measures, Rakic said in a statement.

At this point, this means that, in addition to the Kosovo Police, Kfor troops will be deployed on all four bridges on the Ibar River between the northern (Serb) and southern (ethnic Albanian) part of the town, Rakic explained, adding that there will be no obstruction to traffic.

Kfor troops and the Kosovo Police will react only in case of attempts to cause new incidents, Rakic said.

Photo Tanjug, Boki (archive)