In the aftermath of the violent clash in Banjska, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the organization is considering a permanent increase in the number of troops stationed in Kosovo. The decision comes as a response to the unrest that erupted on September 24, which led to a war zone in the peaceful village.

NATO has already sent hundreds of extra troops from Britain and Romania to Kosovo to help maintain stability in the region. However, Stoltenberg believes that further action may be necessary to prevent future conflicts and ensure long-term peace.

“We are now considering whether there is a need for a permanent increase in troops to keep tensions under control and prevent any new violent conflict from being created,” he said during a visit to Kosovo.

KFOR, NATO’s peacekeeping mission, has been operating in Kosovo since 1999 and currently consists of more than 4,500 soldiers from 27 countries. The potential increase in troops would aim to maintain stability in Kosovo and the wider region, as well as prevent any future conflicts from arising.

The unrest in September raised new international concerns about the stability of Kosovo, which has an ethnic Albanian majority and declared independence from Serbia in 2008 after a guerrilla insurgency and NATO intervention in 1999. However, with NATO’s increased presence, it seems that the organization is determined to maintain peace and stability in the region for years to come.