ANKARA/PRISTINA

Kosovo's Internal Affairs Minister Xhelal Svecla announced Saturday that the Merdare and Bernjak border crossings to Serbia have been reopened to traffic following the end of roadblocks on the Serbian side.

The decision to open the crossings was made after roadblocks ended that were organized by masked extremists on the Serbian side of the border, Svecla said on social media.

There are no obstacles to traffic in and out of the crossings, he said.

A group of Serbs gathered Friday to block main roads leading to Kosovo border gates in southern Serbia until the UN and NATO's peacekeeping mission, KFOR, withdrew Kosovo police from northern Kosovo.

An announcement said earlier that protesters would eradicate barricades on the roads during a 24-hour watch.

The group near Jarinje, one of the border gates with Kosovo in Serbia, reportedly allowed ambulances and vehicles with Serbian license plates to pass, while stopping trucks and Kosovars carrying commercial goods.

*Writing by Muhammed Enes Calli in Istanbul