The Kosovo Force (KFOR) is a NATO-led international peacekeeping force which was responsible for establishing a secure environment in Kosovo.
KFOR entered Kosovo on 12 June 1999 under a United Nations mandate, two days after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1244. At the time of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, Kosovo was facing a grave humanitarian crisis, with military forces from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in daily engagement. Ethnic tensions were at their highest and the death toll had reached a historic high. Nearly one million people had fled Kosovo as refugees.
KFOR has gradually transferred responsibilities to Kosovo police and other local authorities. As of September 10, 2012, KFOR consists of 5,609 troops. They might be leaving soon.
Read more about Kosovo Force: Objectives, Structure, Contributing States, KFOR Commanders, Kosovo, Peacekeeping and Human Trafficking, KFOR Fatalities, Events
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