SW News: Ominous clouds of war are looming over Europe yet again with Serbia placing its military on high alert near its border with Kosovo amid rising tensions. Ethnic Serbs have set up barricades within Kosovo. Amid the deadlock, Serbia and Kosovo accuse one another of making preparations for an armed conflict.

The reason for the tension is the conflict between the Serbian minority and the security forces in Kosovo. According to Kosovo police, they were the target of three consecutive shootings on a route going to the border. Shots were fired in the direction of its Latvian soldiers, according to NATO. Though there were no casualties or material losses, there are worries that Serbia would launch a military intervention.

Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic claimed he put the army on high alert to defend the Serbs. This tense situation followed the arrest of a former Serbian policeman who was accused of attacking another serving policeman during a prior protest. International pressure on Serbia to take down the barriers in the area has been ignored.

The threat is more pronounced than ever and comes in response to reports in Serbian media that Pristina, the capital city of Kosovo, is getting ready to launch an attack on ethnic Serb districts of north Kosovo. Regarding the charges, the Pristina administration has remained silent. However, it has already charged Vucic with playing games to cause a commotion.

After a conflict in 1998–1999, Kosovo, which has a predominantly ethnic Albanian population, seceded from Serbia. Both Serbia and the ethnic Serbs that reside there reject Kosovo's claim to independence. Since the end of the 1999 war, when Belgrade lost control of the region, around 4,000 NATO-led troops have been stationed in Kosovo. In Kosovo's northern region, which has an Albanian majority, tens of thousands of Serbs reside.

Belgrade charges Kosovo with preparing terrorism against Serbs in regions where 50,000 people of ethnic Serb descent reside. Pristina claims Belgrade is responsible for the paramilitary formations that erected barricades on December 10 in the majority-Serb regions of north Kosovo.

The European Union has been making mediation efforts. The 27-member bloc is calling for maximum restraint and immediate action and the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to contribute to a political solution. Serbia is a traditional ally of Russia.