BELGRADE, January 23. /TASS/. Kosovo police special forces (ROSU) opened fire on a car with two Serbs inside in the northern part of the region, the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija reported Monday.

According to the report, the Kosovo forces opened fire on the car at about 11:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. Moscow time) on a road between Kosovska Mitrovica and Leposavic. One Serb was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the chest.

"It is obvious that [Prime Minister of the unrecognized Kosovo Albin] Kurti spills Serbian blood without hesitation, and this is the only purpose for the presence of his squadrons in northern Kosovo and Metohija," the Office said. "Belgrade has warned since the very beginning of ROSU’s presence in the north [of the region] that their only goal is to create incidents and to mistreat our people, just as it was demonstrated today."

In early January, an Albanian injured two Serbs, including one minor. According to media reports, an 11-year-old minor and a 21-year-old man were injured by shots from a passing car in the city of Strpce. They were immediately hospitalized with moderate injuries.

On January 7, Albanians again attacked a Serb in unrecognized Kosovo, beating an 18-year-old boy in the southeast of the autonomous province as he was returning from a Christmas service. The victim reportedly sustained eye, face, soft tissue and limb injuries and sought medical help.

The situation in Kosovo and Metohija escalated on December 6, 2022, when Kosovo special forces, accompanied by EU mission patrols, started capturing voting stations in the northern part of the region. On December 26, Kosovo authorities put its force on full alert. In response, Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic and Minister of the Interior Bratislav Gasic announced that Serbian Armed Forces and police were also put on full alert. The situation was stabilized on December 28. After the EU and the US provided their guarantees, Pristina started releasing detained Serbs, and barricades in the north were disassembled.