Kosova Daily Report #1707, 99-03-01

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1707
Prishtina, 1 March 1999

CONTENTS

[01] LDK Leadership Calls on Party Structures to Support Rambouillet Accords

[02] Serbian Forces Shell Five Villages in Vushtrri Area

[03] Serbian Forces Machine-Gun U^K Positions in Mitrovica Area Overnight

[04] Population of Five Villages Displaced in Southeastern Kosova

[05] Heavy Serbian Military Buildup in Central Kosova

[06] Six Persons, Four of Whom Albanians, Killed in Unsolved, Separate Incidents in Kosova

[01] LDK Leadership Calls on Party Structures to Support Rambouillet Accords

The LDK Presidency supports fully the President of the Republic of Kosova, Mr. Ibrahim Rugova, and the delegation which represented Kosova in the conference and consensually subscribed to the interim agreement, the LDK said in a statement issued after a meeting today.

The Peace Conference in Rambouillet is of great importance for Kosova and all its people, because it brought the heavily internationalized Kosova issue on top of the international agenda, Rugova's party said.

Having given its support to the text of the Interim Agreement, the LDK leadership calls on all its structures to fully back it during the pending consultations in the run-up to March 15, the LDK said.

The Presidency of the Democratic League of Kosova hailed the work of the Conference organizers, the mediators and other international participants, singling out the role of the United States of America, first and foremost of the Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, whose outstanding contribution to the Rambouillet talks is highly appreciated, the LDK statement said.

Touching on the current situation in Kosova, the LDK said it continued to be dangerous because of the ongoing Serbian offensive and a further build- up of the Serbian military and police presence in Kosova. All this is aimed at undermining what was achieved in Rambouillet, the party concluded.

[02] Serbian Forces Shell Five Villages in Vushtrri Area

Sporadic gunfire aimed at these Albanian villages was heard all night long. No immediate details on the consequences of this assault have been made available.

Meanwhile, five Albanian civilians were arrested by Serbian police in two separate cases in Vushtrri on Sunday, local sources said.

Three of them have been named as Bajram Shalaku (56), Xheladin Berisha (37), residents of Okrashtica, and Sahit Rrudhani.

[03] Serbian Forces Machine-Gun U^K Positions in Mitrovica Area Overnight

Later on, beginning at 21:45 CET, Serbian forces stationed in the hills overlooking the villages of Frash&r i Vog&l, Vaganic& e Poshtme, Vaganic& e Ep&rme, Pir^ and V&rnic&, machine-gunned U^K (Kosova Liberation Army) positions in the area. The machine-gun assault against U^K positions resumed early today (Monday) morning, lasting for three hours, from 02:00 through 05:00 CET, local sources said.

Serbian troops opened artillery fire from their military base at Shipol, on the suburbs of Mitrovica, early in the morning today.

There has been no immediate word on casualties or material damage.

A number of Vushtrri villages bordering on the Mitrovica municipality, including Oshlan, Pantin& and Liqej, were shelled overnight, local LDK sources in Mitrovica reported.

[04] Population of Five Villages Displaced in Southeastern Kosova

PRISHTINA, March 1 (KIC) - In the wake of the Serbian military crackdown in south-eastern Kosova, most of the Albanian residents of five villages - Bob, Bi^ec, Kova^ec, Gjurgjedell and Llanisht& - fled their homes, local LDK sources said.

Thousands of Albanians tried to cross over to the neighbouring Macedonia yesterday, but were turned back by the Serbian forces at the Hani i Elezit border crossing. Some of the families found refuge in the small town of Hani i Elezit itself, whereas the rest were encouraged by the OSCE verification mission to return back home.

An alarming situation has been reported in the villages of Rezhanc& and Krivenik, which have been sealed off by Serbian forces, local sources said.

Serbian forces killed one Albanian and wounded another in Gajre village, municipality of Ka^anik, yesterday, LDK sources said. The killed Rrustem Halim ^allaku (64) was buried today. The wounded Albanian has been named as Fejzullah Rexhep ^allaku (79).

[05] Heavy Serbian Military Buildup in Central Kosova

Scores of Serbian armoured and other motorized vehicles have been reported stationed there recently. Because of the Serb forces' concentration near Rahovec and Ho^& e Madhe, the Albanian population of half a dozen villages (Shkoz&, Jan^ift, Maxharr&, Ostrozub, Dragobil, etc.) lives in anxiety, local LDK sources said.

Serb forces have threatened with reprisals over the alleged kidnapping of two Serbs from Ho^& e Madhe village. The residents of Shkoz& village spent the night outside their village in fear.

A column of Serbian military police vehicles arrived in Shtime from Ferizaj today morning, local sources said.

Serbian military forces stationed at Pishnajat e Shtimes (the Shtime Pinewood) have been on the move, back and forth to Zborc village.

Serbian forces engaged in a shooting spree late Sunday evening, causing panic amongst the residents of Bllac& and the outlying villages in the Suhareka municipality.

[06] Six Persons, Four of Whom Albanians, Killed in Unsolved, Separate Incidents in Kosova

An U^K fighter, in his mid-twenties, was found killed at Trakani^ village, municipality of Gjakova, on Sunday morning. He was wearing military fatigues, sources said.

A notorious Albanian collaborationist with the Serbian police, Muharrem Ibraj, killed a local Albanian in Osek Hyl& village near Gjakova, LDK sources said. The Albanian, Sylejman M. Bajrami (45), was killed after having had his house surrounded by Serbian forces.

A day earlier, on Saturday evening, an Albanian youth, Albesian Mataj (17), was ambushed and killed near Osek Hyl&, local LDK sources said.

Unidentified assailants shot dead an Albanian and wounded two others in the center of Prishtina, capital of Kosova, in mid- evening on Sunday. The killed was named as Ekrem Gashi, whereas the seriously wounded as Fahri Bejta and Genc Nuha. They were shot dead when they were fired upon with automatic, perhaps machine-gun fire near a group of Serbian-owned shops.

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