U.S. Special Troops Training Kosovo Police and Security Forces  

Kosovo police (Beta/archive/Armenija Zajmi Besevic)

The U.S. Army Special Forces have conducted a first joint training with members of the Kosovo police special units and Security Forces titled BILAT (Bi-lateral training).

Portal Balkan Security Network has reported that according to announcements of the U.S. Army and U.S. Special Operations Command Europe, a bilateral training was conducted in late March with Kosovo police Special Intervention Unit and the Kosovo Security Forces. In its announcement, the Command said that bilateral trainings with NATO partner forces of the Balkan countries was very important “for security in the region and discouragement of destabilizing activities.”

The published photos show Kosovo Security Forces members wearing special unit helmets and carrying G36 assault rifles, while insignias of their units are blurred. The photos, according to the portal, show tactical exercises, but without the use of live ammunition and magazines. “In special unit training practice it means that the level of practiced skills and mutual trust between the U.S. Army and Pristina special units is not at a high level,” the portal wrote.

The portal recalled that the same U.S. unit, that is, the U.S. Army 10th Special Forces Group, had an exercise with the Serbian Army in November, when live ammunition was used and helicopter landing operation was performed for high delegations of the U.S. and Serbia.