Serbs in northern Kosovo who have been blocking roads for the past 19 days to protest the detention of a former policeman will begin removing the barricades this morning, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said last night, as quoted by Reuters and BTA.

"This is a long process. It will take some time," he said after a meeting with the Serbian population in northern Kosovo.

Former law enforcement officer Dejan Pantic, whose detention sparked protests among Kosovo's Serb minority, was placed under house arrest yesterday at the request of the prosecutor's office.

A day ago, Kosovo asked NATO peacekeepers stationed there to remove the barricades and hinted that Pristina's forces would do so if KFOR forces did not respond. About 4,000 NATO peacekeepers have been stationed in Kosovo since the 1999 war that ended with Belgrade losing control of the territory.

Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have reached a peak in the past month. Western attempts to reach a negotiated settlement have failed because Serbia refuses to recognize Kosovo's statehood.

KFOR and the European Union called on Pristina and Belgrade to show restraint and avoid provocations.

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