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Aleksandar Vucic cancels state of high alert for Serbian armed forces

On December 26, the authorities of unrecognized Kosovo put their armed forces on full alert

BELGRADE, December 29. /TASS/. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic ordered to cancel the state of high alert for the national armed forces, introduced on December 26 during an escalation in northern parts of Kosovo and Metohija, Tanjug reported Thursday citing the presidential administration.

The situation in Kosovo and Metohija escalated abruptly on December 6, when the regional special forces, accompanied by patrols of the EU mission to Kosovo, started capturing electoral commissions in the northern part of Kosovo and Metohija. The Serb population organized itself and pushed the Kosovars back past the River Ibar. On December 8, some 350 Kosovan police invaded the Serb-populated north of the autonomous region on armored vehicles and blocked the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica. On December 10, the Kosovo police arrested a Serb ex-policeman Dejan Pantic under a contrived pretext. In response, the Serb population blocked highways in several settlements with barricades.

On December 26, the authorities of unrecognized Kosovo put their armed forces on full alert. In response, Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic and Minister of the Interior Bratislav Gasic said that the Serbian armed forces and police were also put on full alert under Vucic’s orders.

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