Ankara: In response to a request from NATO for troops to assist in putting down violent unrest, the Turkish defence ministry announced on Saturday that it will send a commando battalion to northern Kosovo.

The ministry said in a press release shared on its official Twitter account that NATO's Joint Force Command Naples made the request, and the battalion will join KFOR, the alliance's peacekeeping mission in the area, as a reserve unit.

A representative from the defence ministry said that 500 Turkish soldiers would be deployed to Kosovo. In accordance with ministry rules, the official spoke on the condition of anonymity.

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On Tuesday, NATO made the announcement that it would be bolstering the local force with 700 additional soldiers. Almost 3,800 soldiers make up KFOR at the moment, including 350 from  Turkiye.

30 foreign soldiers—11 Italians and 19 Hungarians—were hurt during violent clashes with ethnic Serbs on Monday. Their injuries included fractures and burns from improvised explosive incendiary devices.

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The altercation started when Serbs blocked ethnic Albanian officials from entering municipal buildings after they were elected in elections that were overwhelmingly boycotted by them.

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The Turkish statement read, "We urge restraint and dialogue to resolve these developments in northern Kosovo which endanger regional security and stability." On Sunday and Monday, the Turkish commando battalion will move to Kosovo's Sultan Murat Barracks