The Kosovo Police has begun taking over security responsibilities at the main bridge over the Ibar River in Mitrovica, according to Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK), marking another step in the gradual transfer of security duties from international missions to Kosovo institutions.
The bridge, connecting the northern and southern parts of Mitrovica, has remained one of Kosovo’s most sensitive security points and a longstanding symbol of the division between the city’s Albanian and Serb communities.
For 27 years since the end of the Kosovo war, security at the bridge had been the responsibility of international security missions.
The latest development has changed the security arrangement on the ground. A tent and static position operated by Italian Carabinieri serving with NATO’s KFOR mission have been removed from the northern side of the bridge, while KFOR personnel remain positioned on the southern side.
According to unofficial information of Kosovo Police sources, Kosovo Police officers were not physically stationed on the bridge itself on Monday, despite taking over responsibility for its security.
The move comes amid a broader process in which KFOR has been gradually adjusting its deployment and transferring certain security responsibilities to Kosovo institutions as the security situation permits.
The development also follows KFOR’s announcement that it has begun integrating Kosovo Police personnel into its security architecture at the Deçan Monastery, describing the process as gradual, conditions-based and closely coordinated with Kosovo institutions, the Serbian Orthodox Church and international partners.
The main Ibar bridge remains a highly sensitive location, and any changes to its security arrangements are likely to carry both practical and political significance amid continued tensions between Prishtina and Belgrade.
