Maj. Gen. Erhard Drews said he supports the peaceful resolution of the standoff between his troops and hundreds of Serbs manning the roadblocks which are hampering the freedom of movement in the Serb-controlled region.

“I hope for a peaceful solution of the problem, but I will be forced to carry out my mandate and establish the freedom of movement,” Drews said during his visit to the region.

Kosovo Serbs have been blocking roads to stop the country’s ethnic Albanian leadership from extending its control over the part of the country populated mostly by ethnic Serbs.

The Serbs reject Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia and consider the region a part of neighboring Serbia.

On Thursday, the peacekeepers in riot gear confronted crowds of angry Serbs guarding the roadblocks consisting of heavy trucks, rocks, mud and logs. The standoff continued Friday.

In July, ethnic Albanian authorities deployed their security forces to two border posts in northern Kosovo to enforce a trade ban with Serbia. Serbs reacted by blocking roads and triggering clashes with Kosovo police that left one police officer dead.