A spokesman for the KFOR international force in Kosovo said that Serbian authorities were warned in time about the major police operation on Monday, which raised tensions in the region. Serbia mobilized its military and police in response to the arrest of about a dozen ethnic Serb police officers and officers from other groups in a majority Serb part of Kosovo.

Dozens of people were involved in confrontation with the Kosovan police, who fired overhead to disperse groups of Serbs.

According to Colonel Vicenzo Grasso, KFOR was in touch with the Serbian authorities who were informed ahead of the operation.

Kosovan police insists that it was a legitimate raid against police officers who were cooperating with criminal groups. Serbia, on the other hand, sees it as an attempt to expel Serbs from Kosovo.