KFOR spokesperson Uwe Nowitzki stated Friday that the rest of the reinforcement troops, which NATO decided to send to Kosovo as backup to KFOR, will arrive by Monday.

Nowitzki told the Kosovska Mitrovica-based radio 'Kontakt Plus' that 150 Austrian soldiers should arrive in Kosovo today. A total of 70 German soldiers landed in Kosovo on Thursday, and a contingent of 250 German soldiers arrived the day before, he added.

The KFOR spokesperson did not want to speak about the operative plan for May 6, when the Serbian elections are expected to be held in Kosovo as well.

The first group of Austrian troops of the Operational Reserve Forces (ORF), which is to reinforce KFOR ahead of the Serbian elections, departed for Kosovo on Friday, Major Peter Barthou told Tanjug.

Defence Minister Norbert Darabos told the Austrian news agency APA that Austrian ORF soldiers will stay in Kosovo for no less than four weeks.

KFOR Commander Major General Erhard Drews, who requested that troops be reinforced, will decide as to when, where and how these reserve forces will be used.