Kosovo to partially withdraw special police officers from northern Serb-majority municipalities

By FLORENT BAJRAMI and LLAZAR SEMINI
Associated Press

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo’s government has decided to reduce by one-fourth the number of special police officers and also hold new mayoral elections in four Serb-majority municipalities. The move is a bid to defuse tensions with neighboring Serbia that flared anew in May. Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti said Wednesday that more officers would be withdrawn based on the continuous evaluation of the situation. Kurti also said the government would formally declare holding new elections in the four Serb-majority municipalities. Violent clashes in late May sparked when new Albanian mayors took office left at least 30 international peacekeepers and more than 50 ethnic Serbs injured.