Kosovo police special units deployed near two border crossings with Serbia Monday and started confiscating license plates of vehicles from northern Kosovo populated mainly by the Serbs, while vehicles with license plates from central Serbia were demanded to put temporary plates and to pay five euro insurance valid two months.

Besnik Bislimi, Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister, had said that as of September 15, Kosovo would not accept the extension of the interim agreement on license plates and would implement the reciprocity since Serbia demanded the same for cars with Kosovo license plates (RKS).

Pristina previously informed Serbia’s police about the new rules.

Igor Simic, deputy leader of the Belgrade-backed Serb List party, told the pro-regime Pink TV that armoured vehicles were deployed at the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings and that members of the ROSU special unit were carrying long rifles.

„Citizens in northern Kosovo are upset by this demonstration of force. The Presidency of the Serbian List met this morning and called on the citizens not to fall for the provocations because Pristina wanted to destabilise the situation,“ Simic said.

He said the operation was an attempt of the Pristina authorities to curb local Serbs’ freedom of movement.

„This is a brutal violation of the Brussels Agreement, but I hope a political solution will be found,“ Simic said.

Kosovo’s Interior Minister of Kosovo, Xhelal Sveçla, wrote on his Facebook account the move was the implementation of the agreement on free movement related to vehicle licence plates.

„As of September 15, vehicles with KS license plates are not valid anymore. The only official and valid license plates are with RKS, issued by Kosovo’s Interior Ministry,“ he said.