The car of a KALLXO.com team of journalists was attacked on Friday morning in Northern Mitrovica by masked persons, while they were circulating the municipalities with a Serbian majority to report on the tense situation there.

A masked man hit the car with his fists, while tools were also thrown by other gang members. The team suffered no injuries.

Regarding the attack, the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, AGK, expressed concern about the safety of media in the Serb-majority north.

“The Association of Journalists of Kosovo is deeply concerned about the safety of journalists after the attack this morning on a team of Kallxo.com in the north of Mitrovica,” said AGK.

AGK called on the police to secure conditions for journalists to work.

“The AGK strongly condemns the attack and again asks the Kosovo Police to take care to provide the appropriate security conditions for the reporting of journalists from this part of the country,” it stated.

On Thursday evening, a Kosovo Police patrol was also attacked in the Zvecan area with firearms.

Police declared that, as a result of the incident, a member of the Police force was slightly injured and considerable material damage was done to the police car.

Since Thursday, the police have increased their patrols in the north.

The Minister of Interior, Xhelal Sveçla, said the decision to increase the police presence in the north was aimed at securing citizens.

Regarding the tense situation in the four Serb-majority municipalities in the north, the Head of the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia, Petar Petkovic, said Serbia was considering sending 1,000 security personnel back into Kosovo.

He said that this action would be taken in accordance with UN Resolution 1244, Article 4 and Article 6 of Annex 2.

Petkovic made the comments on Thursday evening, a few hours after Kosovo Police announced that it had increased its presence in the north.

Tensions in the north have been increasing since the beginning of the week. In the four municipalities there – North Mitrovica, Leposaviq, Zvecan and Zubin Potok – local elections are set to be held on December 18.

However, explosions have rocked the north of Kosovo only days before the extraordinary elections putting the elections and their date into doubt.

Since December 6, there have been several incidents involving firearms and grenades.