NATO official: Additional forces from Great Britain; increasing presence and activities in the North

The North Atlantic Council yesterday authorized additional forces from Great Britain, if necessary, to address the current situation in Kosovo, as stated in NATO's response to Kosovo Online's inquiry about how many additional troops the Alliance will send to Kosovo and from which countries.

"We will not comment on specific operational details," a NATO official said.

As further mentioned, in light of recent events, KFOR "is increasing its presence and activities in northern Kosovo and in areas around the Administrative Boundary Line to ensure that it continues to fulfill its mandate to provide a safe and secure environment for all people living in Kosovo."

"In response to tensions in May, KFOR deployed around 500 Turkish soldiers from the operational reserve forces for the Western Balkans, with an additional reserve forces battalion on higher alert. The Turkish battalion has been replaced by troops from Bulgaria and Greece," the official added.

Regarding Belgrade's request for KFOR to take over security in northern Kosovo, the NATO official states that they will continue to ensure that their commander has the resources and flexibility necessary for KFOR to fulfill its mandate.

"We are ready to make further adjustments to KFOR's position as needed," the official adds in the end.