The NATO-led Kosovo Force announced Monday it is scaling back its presence at two flashpoints for the first time since the 1998–1999 war, citing improved security conditions. KFOR said it has begun integrating Kosovo police officers into the security arrangement at the Visoki Decani monastery, a medieval Serbian Orthodox site long guarded by international troops.
A gradual transition is also under way at a bridge in Mitrovica that divides ethnic Albanian and Serb neighbourhoods. KFOR has controlled the crossing for 27 years, almost the entire duration of the mission launched after the conflict that killed more than 13,000 people.
The drawdown marks a milestone for the mission, which currently numbers roughly 4,600 soldiers after a 1,000-troop reinforcement in 2023. NATO announced in June it would adjust force levels gradually over the coming year.