Romanian Forces Reinforce NATO's Peacekeeping Mission in Kosovo

NATO confirmed today, Saturday, that "more than 130 Romanian soldiers have reinforced the alliance's peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, following the worst violence seen in northern Kosovo in years." The military alliance stated in a press release: "200 British soldiers were deployed earlier this month," adding that "the Romanian forces arrived yesterday, Friday." The alliance did not specify the number of troops to be sent to reinforce the mission or their nationalities. NATO allowed the deployment of additional forces to Kosovo at the end of September, after Kosovo police clashed near the village of Banjska in the north of the country with about 30 armed Serbs who had barricaded themselves in a Serbian Orthodox monastery on September 24. The alliance's force in Kosovo, which has been operating since 1999, includes over 4,500 soldiers from 27 countries.