A NATO spokesman says two soldiers serving with NATO's Kosovo Force have been wounded during a confrontation with Serb protesters in northern Kosovo.

Clashes broke out Monday when NATO troops began removing several earthen roadblocks put in place by the Serbs, who reject the authority of the Kosovo government. A KFOR spokesman said the wounded soldiers' condition is not known.

KFOR forces fired water cannons and rubber bullets and used tear gas to disperse Serbian protesters who in return fired on the soldiers.

Hospital officials say at least two Serbs are being treated for injuries, while local media are reporting several more are seeking medical help.

Ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. But the northern part of the country is home to many Serbs who reject Kosovo's independence.

The latest clash comes as officials from Serbia and Kosovo are scheduled to resume European Union-brokered peace talks in Brussels on Wednesday.