Lawmakers threw punches during Prime Minister Albin Kurti's speech.
A brawl broke out in the Kosovo parliament on July 13, which resulted in a full-on fist fight between lawmakers after an opposition MP threw water at the country's prime minister during his speech.
This unfortunate incident happened after a heated three-day public debate over an audio recording between a ruling party member and an official from the Serb-majority north.
Watch the video here:
Kosovo's opposition has long accused nationalist Prime Minister Albin Kurti's handling of tensions in the north of having strained relations with longtime Western allies the United States and the European Union.
According to a report by the news agency Reuters, unrest in the north has intensified more recently since ethnic Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo after April elections that the Serbs boycotted, demanding implementation of a decade-old deal for more autonomy. Ethnic Albanians make up 90% of Kosovo's population, while Serbs account for about 5%.
On Thursday, video from inside the parliament showed an opposition party MP throwing water at Kurti and his deputy. The brawl then spread when other opposition and governing coalition lawmakers approached the podium where ministers are seated.
Kurti was pushed away from his MPs and bodyguards as lawmakers from both sides attacked each other until police intervened.
"This what happened at Kosovo parliament is unacceptable and use of violence in punishable," said Kosovo's speaker of the parliament Glauk Konjufca, and ordered the delay of the session for two hours.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kosovo government said it will scale down the police presence and take other measures to lower tensions in a northern region where hostilities between Albanians and ethnic Serbs have reached their highest level since the country declared independence in 2008.
(With inputs from Reuters)