Serbia says it has reduced army presence near Kosovo after US expressed concern over troop buildup

The Serbian army has cut the number of troops stationed on the border with Kosovo by nearly half, top Serbian military officials said on Monday, denying U.S. and other reports of a mass military buildup in the wake of a shooting over a week ago that killed four people and raised fears of instability in the volatile region. Troop numbers are now at their “regular” level of some 4,500 soldiers, reduced from 8,350 in the wake of violence on Sept. 24 in northern Kosovo between heavily armed Serb gunmen and Kosovo police, the Serbian Army Chief of Staff Gen. Milan Mojsilovic said at a press conference.