"The Belgrade-backed Serb List party declared victory across four northern Serb-majority municipalities on Sunday evening following local elections in Kosovo. Footage shows dozens of motorists driving through the centre of North Mitrovica, honking their horns and waving Serb flags in celebration. President of the Serb List party, the largest Serbian political party in Kosovo, Zlatan Elek, called the results in North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok, and Leposavic a 'convincing victory', as early exit polls suggest a his party is leading across all four municipalities. "What is most important is that the four municipalities north of the Ibar were returned to where they belong, and those who voted today with a pencil showed that the Serbian list north of the Ibar won a convincing victory," declared Elek. "We said at the last meeting that we were coming for the biggest victory, I repeat today that this is the victory of the Serbian people, the victory of Serbian harmony and Serbian unity, and the victory of everything that is Serbian in Kosovo," he added. Ethnic Serbs and the Serb List party had boycotted local elections in 2023 to demand greater autonomy. The outcome of the election resulted in civil unrest across the majority-Serb municipalities, with representatives elected only able to assume office after Kosovan police took control of the municipal buildings. Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia escalated earlier this year after Kosovo authorities raided ten Serbian-linked government offices. Over the past year, Kosovo has also banned the Serbian dinar, shut down banks reliant on the currency, and closed post offices handling Serbian pension payments. In 2008, Kosovo unilaterally proclaimed independence in a move that Belgrade rejects, continuing to regard it as an Autonomous Province of the country amid ongoing disputes over the status and security of ethnic Serbs in the region. Kosovo is also not recognised by Russia or China, as well as EU members Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus, Romania and Greece. Following the gradual breakup of Yugoslavia, the NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping force has been present in Kosovo since 1999. This follows NATO's air campaign against Serbian cities and forces in response to alleged ethnic cleansing of Albanians. Launched without UN approval, the NATO bombing campaign caused at least 1,500 deaths, driving Yugoslav forces and tens of thousands of Kosovan Serbs from the territory of Kosovo."