Pristina, 27 May 2023 (dpa/MIA) - The situation was calm in Serb-populated northern Kosovo on Saturday following violent clashes the previous day, according to local media reports.

Militant Serbs in three northern Kosovar municipalities had attacked Kosovar police officers trying to gain access to municipal offices on Friday, authorities in Pristina said that evening.

The Serbs attempted to prevent new mayors from taking office in the municipalities of Zvečan, Leposavić and Zubin Potok after Serbian residents boycotted their election the previous month. This reduced the voter turnout to just 3.5%.

The new mayors come from Albanian parties and the rest of Kosovo is also almost exclusively Albanian-populated.

The situation escalated on Friday, especially in Zvečan, prompting Kosovo police units to use tear gas to disperse the angry crowd. Five police officers suffered injuries, authorities reported, while Serbian demonstrators complained of sustaining light injuries from the tear gas.

Vehicles belonging to the Kosovo police and the EU's Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) were set on fire or damaged during the clashes.

Meanwhile, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić put the neighbouring country's armed forces on standby. Belgrade does not accept the independence of its former province, declared in 2008, and is demanding its return.

The United States, Britain, Germany, France and Italy issued a rebuke of the Kosovo police actions and called on the local authorities to "immediately step back and de-escalate" and closely coordinate with international missions.

"We condemn Kosovo's decision to force access to municipal buildings in northern Kosovo despite our call for restraint," a joint statement by the Foreign Ministries of the five countries said.

The countries also expressed concern about the standby order for Serbian forces and urged all parties to show maximum restraint. 

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