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Kosova Daily Report #1550, 98-09-12

Kosovo Information Center: Kosova Daily Report Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: Kosova Information Center <http://www.kosova.com/>

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1550
Prishtina, 12 September 1998


CONTENTS

  • [01] Serb Forces Shell Two Villages in Mitrovica
  • [02] Serb Troops Resume Attacks against Drenica Villages
  • [03] Albanian Refugees from Drenica Swell further Mitrovica Population
  • [04] Serb Police Set Three Hours Deadline to IDP's to Leave Isniq Village
  • [05] Over 3000 Albanians Trapped in Mountains Heading for Montenegro, Encircled by Special Security Units
  • [06] Refugees Heading for Plava, Turned Back by Serbs, Reach Drelaj (Rugova)
  • [07] Critical Security and Humanitarian Situation in Prizren
  • [08] Serb Military Withdrew from a Position in Shtime
  • [09] Serb Civilian Attacks Albanian Couple in the Street

  • [01] Serb Forces Shell Two Villages in Mitrovica

    Four Albanians taken off a bus, illtreated for hours PRISHTINA, Sept 12 (KIC) - Around 22:00 hrs on Friday, Serbian military and police troops stationed at Kutllovc and Stan T&rg ('Stari Trg') shelled the villages of Melenic&a and Mazhiq and the "Trep^a" neighborhood in Stan t&rg, LDK sources in Mitrovica reported.

    Considerable material damage was reported, but there has been no word on possible casualties yet.

    Meanwhile, sources said four Albanians were taken off a bus near Zubin Potok on Thursday, held in police custody for hours and ill- treated on obscure charges.

    Brothers Ali, Ymer and Sulltan Desku, form Si^eva village of Klina, and Ejup Zejnullahu, resident of Llausha village of Skenderaj, were on a bus commuting between Mitrovica and Ulqin (Montenegro), when they were stopped and taken to a police station in Mitrovica. The Desku brothers were released after seven hours in custory, whereas Ejup Zejnullahu was held for 27 hours in detention.

    [02] Serb Troops Resume Attacks against Drenica Villages

    PRISHTINA, Sept 12 (KIC) - A Serb forces' attack, launched Friday morning against a number of villages of Drenica, Skenderaj ('Srbica') municipality, has continued today morning, local sources reported. Serb operations have been focussed on the Rezalla village, targeting also the villages of Plluzhin&, Tic&, Mak&rmal, Obri and A^arev&.

    LDK activists in the area said heavy Serb troops backed by 58 tanks, 38 trucks and other combat equipment were deployed in the Llausha village today morning, from where they mounted fierce attacks against Albanian settlements. The outlying villages are being pounded with artillery guns and ground-to-ground missiles, Fadil Ymeri, head of the local LDK information commission in Qirez told the KIC this morning.

    The local Chapter of the Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CHDRF) in Skenderaj said that 2 Albanians were killed and six others wounded in Rezalla village yesterday.

    Meanwhile, LDK sources in Skenderaj confirmed that the casualty- toll in the village yesterday was higher: 3 fatalities and 16 wounded.

    Leutrim Ahmeti (9), Xuf& Ahmeti (8) and Ram& Ahmeti (42) died during the Serb bombardment, while the following persons were wounded yestrday: two women of the same name Fatmire Ahmeti (18) and Fatmire Ahmeti (35), Gjyle Raci (f, 30), Brahim Ahmeti (29), Makfirete Ahmetin (f. 14), Bajram Ahmeti (11), Shpresa Ahmeti (f.

    9), Naser Gashi (15), Feti Musliu (22), Nuredin Bacaj (39), Xheladin Behrami (53), Rifat Smakiqi (34), Arben Makolli (24), Tahir Lladrovci (22), Jahir D&rguti (44) and Sk&nder Ahmeti (39).

    Scores of farmhouses in Rrezalla and other villages were badly damaged or burned to the ground, witnesses said.

    There has been ne immediate word on possible casualties yet.

    Over 10.000 people from the villages that came under Serb troops' attack were reported on the move since Friday morning. Sources in the neighboring Vushtrri ('Vucitrn') said thousands of displaced Albanians from Drenica arrived during the last night in the villages of this municipality, already swelled by large numbers of others who had sought refuge there in the past months. Around 30.000 have been sheltered in the town of Vushtrri alone, local LDK chapter said.

    [03] Albanian Refugees from Drenica Swell further Mitrovica Population

    PRISHTINA, Sept 12 (KIC) - The Albanian population driven out from their villages in Skenderaj (Srbica), the region of Drenica, in the wake of the recent Serb attacks there have been arriving in Mitrovica, further swelling the population of the northern town, LDK sources said.

    Local political and humanitarian activists have been working hard to help the new arrivals.

    Meanwhile, a lorryload of domestic appliances and other looted commodities arrived in Mitrovica from Skenderaj Friday evening, LDK sources said.

    Such lorries are generally driven by Serb policemen and carry also home furniture and agricultural implements, as well as cattle looted in the Albanian villages, they added.

    [04] Serb Police Set Three Hours Deadline to IDP's to Leave Isniq Village

    PRISHTINA, Sept 12 (KIC) - Thousands of internally displaced Albanians have been reported trapped still today in the Isniq village of De^an, encircled by heavy Serb troops. Estimates by local activist earlier last week said over 40.000 were camping out in Isniq.

    Sources told the KIC that the Serb police has been separating men from their families, either keeping them in separated clusters or taking them away to unknown places.

    The LDK chapter in De^an said the Serb forces have ordered today all the people who are not residents of Isniq to leave the village immediately. The Albanians have been given a 3-hour-deadline to leave or force would be used to have them go.

    The LDK chapter said the villages of Prapa^an, Kryshec and Lluk& were pounded with artillery fire for several hours on Friday. Serb troops entered these villages subsequently, looting and destroying dozens of farmhouses.

    [05] Over 3000 Albanians Trapped in Mountains Heading for Montenegro, Encircled by Special Security Units

    PRISHTINA, Sept 12 (KIC) - At least 3000 Albanian residents of the De^an area have been trapped in the mountains between Kosova and Montenegro since last evening, tightly encircled by heavy Serb Montenegrin forces.

    The Albanians who have been trekking for Plav& region of Montenegro were halted Friday afternoon by the Serb police and Yugoslav army troops at a location called Bogiqe.

    After the Serb troops sealed off the border with Albania, people driven from western Kosova have seen Montenegro as the only place of relative safety.

    Between 5,000 and 7,000 - among whom women, children, sick and wounded - were reported travelling via the Bjeshk&t e Nemuna mountains on Friday.

    The local emergency organizations in the town of Plava (Montenegro) said the Montenegrin Government had ordered to prevent all Kosovar refugees from entering the republic since yesterday. Special police and army units which were deployed in the mountains have even used brutal force against the Albanians who attempted to proceed for Plava.

    Sources in Plava said the refugees have been in a desperate situation, with many sick amongst them and with no food. Residents of Plava have provided some breakfast for them today.

    Activists of the local emergency council in Plav& repeated today calls addressed to international humanitarian agencies to urgently intervene so as to rescue these hapless refugees.

    [06] Refugees Heading for Plava, Turned Back by Serbs, Reach Drelaj (Rugova)

    Serb forces ambush, fire upon refugees PRISHTINA, Sept 12 (KIC) - Thousands of Kosovar Albanians who had been trying to cross to Plava (Montenegro) have been travelling back to Kosovar territory, after being turned back by Serb troops yesterday.

    A source from the mountainous western Kosovar region of Rugova told the KIC between 2,000 and 3,000 of them arrived in the village of Drelaj (Rugova) by lunch-time today, whereas around 1,000 have proceeded to Rozhaje (Montenegro).

    The situation of the refugees is appalling, the source told the KIC by phone, and appealed to international organizations to step in with food and medical supplies.

    A resident of Rugova region told the KIC by phone Serb forces had opened fire from an ambush on the refugee crowd, adding that killed and wounded were feared in the incident. He quoted one of the wounded as saying the ambush had been set by Serbs at a location called Stanet e Roshkodolit (the Roshkodol alpine summer huts).

    [07] Critical Security and Humanitarian Situation in Prizren

    PRISHTINA, Sept 12 (KIC) - Activists in Prizren described the situation in the area today as extremely difficult in the wake of the large-scale Serb offensive since the beginning of September.

    Local sources in Prizren said between 40 and 50 Albanians were killed and many others wounded in the area last week alone.

    Many Albanians have been held in Serb custody for days, LDK chapter in town said.

    Entire Albanian communities have been threatened with further reprisals by Serb troops unless they surrendered weapons they allegedly possessed. Serb troops drove yesterday the main squares of the village of X&rx&, Celin&, Krush e Madhe, Krush& e Vog&l, Piran&, Landovic& and Dushanov& calling through a megaphone on the Albanians to give in arms or risk brutal attacks.

    The Albanian-run municipal emergency council in Prizren said it has registered over 50,000 displaced persons housed in the town. It appealed to international aid organizations to assist the refugees with food, medical and winterization items.

    [08] Serb Military Withdrew from a Position in Shtime

    PRISHTINA, Sept 12 (KIC) - Around 11:30 hrs today (Saturday), Serb military forces withdrew from a location called Pishnajat e Shtimes (the Shtime pine forests), which has been their base in the past three months.

    From this base, Serb troops shelled and destroyed 11 villages of the small municipality of Shtime, LDK sources said.

    The convoy of withdrawing troops and combat equipment headed in the direction of Ferizaj ('Urosevac').

    Meanwhile, a convoy of Serb forces coming from Prishtina drove through Shtime town and headed for Prizren.

    The LDK chapter in Shtime said the situation in the town was very tense today. The funeral of a Serb policeman, killed yesterday near the village of Koshare in Ferizaj, took place in Shtime today.

    The Shtime-Prizren roadway was closed for traffic for a period of time.

    Police arrested four citizens, random passers-by, and ill-treated several others in Shtime today, LDK sources said.

    [09] Serb Civilian Attacks Albanian Couple in the Street

    PRISHTINA, Sept 12 (KIC) - An Albanian, Milaim Abazi, resident of Gjylekar village of Vitia, received firearm wounds yesterday when attacked by a Serb in a neighboring village of Verboc.

    Witnesses said Milaim Abazi and his wife were driving on a tractor through Verboc village when attacked by a Serb civilian, who opened unprovoked fire from his automatic gun on the Albanian couple.

    In addition, Milaim Abazi was detained by Serb police later in the day. He was released after having been interrogated for a couple of hours.

    Sources in Vitia could not confirm if the Serb who attacked the couple was detained or even interrogated by police.

    Kosova Information Center

    Kosovo Information Center: Kosova Daily Report Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
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