 A new war begins between Serbia and Kosovo. Serbia placed its security troops on the border with Kosovo on the full state of combat readiness, ignoring NATO's calls for calming down of tensions between the two wartime Balkan foes. Serbian armed forces were on the highest level of alert. Defense Minister Miloš Vucević said, highlighting the Balkans' countries' increasingly strained relations with neighboring Kosovo over recent shootings and blockades. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade has refused to recognize it and encouraged Kosovo's 120,000 ethnic Serbs to defy Pristina's authority, especially in the north, where ethnic Serbs make up the majority. The Serbian army has been put on an heightened scent of alert over tensions with Kosovo multiple times in recent years. The last time in November, after the government claimed that several drones entered Serbian airspace from Kosovo. On December 10th, Serbs in northern Kosovo set up barricades to protect against their arrest of an ex-policeman suspected of being involved in attacks against ethnic Albanian police officers. The blockades coincided with a rise in reported shootings. The latest on Sunday, according to NATO-led peacekeeping force KFOR, Serbia's president ordered the Serbian army to be on the highest level of combat readiness, that is, to the level of the use of armed force. Defense Minister Miloš Vucević said in his statement, He added that President Aleksandr Vucević also ordered the special armed forces to be beeped up from the existing 1,500 to 5,000. Serbia's Interior Ministry also announced that all units immediately come under the command of the Chief of General Staff. These orders from Vucević come after Army Chief General Miloš was dispatched to the border with Kosovo. The situation there is complicated and complex, Moj Silović said Sunday. Northern Kosovo has been especially on edge since November when hundreds of ethnic Serb workers in the Kosovo police, as well as the judicial branch, such as judges and prosecutors, walked off the job. They were protesting a controversial decision to ban Serbs living in Kosovo from using Belgrade-issued license plates, a policy that was eventually scraped by Pristina. Kosovo remains a potential flashpoint in the Balkans years after the 1998 to 1999 war that ended with NATO intervention. Serbia doesn't recognize the 2008 Declaration of Independence of its former province, while Western efforts to mediate a solution so far have failed. It is important for all involved to avoid any rhetoric or actions that can cause tensions and escalate the situation. KFOR said in a statement, We expect all actors to refrain from provocative shows of force and to seek the best solution to ensure the safety and security of all communities. Fears of violence have soared since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, the United States and most European Union countries have recognized Kosovo's independence, while Serbia has relied on Russia and China in its bid to maintain claim on the province. The rising tensions involve several issues amid international efforts to step up mediation efforts. Most recently, ethnic Serbs in the North put up roadblocks in protest of an arrest of a former Serb police officer. Serbs in the North previously had walked out of Kosovo's institutions, claiming harassment by Kosovo authorities. Belgrade repeatedly has warned it would protect local Serbs with all means if they are attacked.