British troops deployed to Kosovo

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The troops from 2nd Battalion The Rifles are to go to the newly-independent Balkan state at the end of May for a one-month deployment, ending on June 30.

Their deployment comes in response to a request from Nato for assistance in dealing with sporadic bursts of violence between Kosovo's ethnic Albanians and its minority Serbian population.

Nato's request for reinforcements to its Kfor force in Kosovo went to Britain because the UK is responsible for providing a standby Operational Reserve Force for the Balkans for the first six months of this year.

In a written statement to the House of Commons, Mr Browne said that 2 Rifles - based in Ballykinler, Northern Ireland - have been "trained specifically for this requirement".

He added: "This deployment will demonstrate our commitment to the security of the region and will provide Nato with extra flexibility in maintaining peace and stability for all communities within Kosovo.

"I would like to stress that the deployment of the UK ORF battalion confirms yet again the professionalism of our armed forces and their ability to provide essential military support at short notice."

Britain will remain committed to the Nato/EU Operational Reserve Force for the Balkans at a lower level of readiness during the second half of 2008, said Mr Browne.

He added that, since the Government of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia on February 17, the security situation had remained "tense" with "sporadic incidents of violence".

"The Nato Kosovo Force (Kfor), in co-operation with the UN international police authorities, are working hard to address this and to maintain a safe and secure environment," he said.