Hoxha: We have increased the presence of special police in northern Kosovo

Gazmend Hoxha, the General Director of the Kosovo Police, stated that the presence of special police had been increased in the north following the events in Banjska, as reported by RFE.

Hoxha did not provide details on the extent to which the capacity of the special unit has been reinforced, but he mentioned that the Kosovo Police were in constant coordination with KFOR and EULEX.

"We've increased our presence and vigilance around the border zone. Additionally, we have increased the presence of the Kosovo Police Special Forces in northern Kosovo. We have slightly reduced patrols by regular police officers because they don't have the same level of protection to confront any possible attacks," Hoxha explained.

Srdjan Simonovic from the Humanitarian Center in North Mitrovica says for Radio Free Europe that the "hostility" of the local population toward the Kosovo Police has continued since the post-war period in 1999.

"The legal successor to the Kosovo Liberation Army, initially, was the Kosovo Police, and later the Kosovo Security Forces. Traditionally, the Kosovo Police is seen by Serbs as a continuation of the KLA, and in that context, Serbs always view them as the enemy," Simonovic says.