Kosovo Serbs trying to take over municipality building in the north clash with police

ZVECAN, Kosovo (AP) — Ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo clashed with police at a municipal building on Monday as they tried to take over one of the local communes where ethnic Albanian mayors entered last week with the help of authorities.

The violence was the latest incident as tensions soared over the past week, with Serbia putting the country's military on high alert and sending more troops to the border with Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008.

Kosovo and Serbia have been foes for decades, with Belgrade refusing to recognize Kosovo's sovereignty. The United States and the European Union have stepped up efforts to help solve the Kosovo-Serbia dispute, fearing further instability in Europe as Russia's war rages in Ukraine. The EU has made it clear to both Serbia and Kosovo they must normalize relations to advance in their intentions to join the bloc.

On Monday, Kosovar police and the NATO-led Kosovo Force, or KFOR, were seen protecting the municipality buildings in Zvecan, Leposavic, Zubin Potok and Mitrovica, four communes that held early elections last month. They were largely boycotted by ethnic Serbs, who form the majority in those areas. Only ethnic Albanian or other smaller minority representatives were elected in the mayoral posts and assemblies.

Police said that Serbs gathered early in the morning at the three communes in the north — Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok — and in Zvecan they tried to enter violently using tear gas in their efforts to get into the public buildings. Police responded with tear gas spray, a statement said.

Serbs say they want both the new mayors, whom they called “illegal and illegitimate sheriffs,” to resign and leave offices, and special police to leave northern Kosovo, according to Goran Rakic, a Serb politician from...