Kosova Daily Report #1489, 98-07-13

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1489
Prishtina, 13 July 1998

First Edition: 12:00 CET
Second Edition: 16:30 CET

CONTENTS

[01] Two Albanians Killed, Twelve Wounded in Today's Serb Attack near Suhareka

[02] Serb Forces Stepped Up Movement Reported in Fush& Kosova Villages

[03] Firefighting Reported near Stant&rg Mining Town

[04] Serb Forces Attack Three Villages in De^an District

[05] Serb Mortar Fire on Shipitull& and Sibovc, West of Prishtina

[06] Names of 2 Killed and 13 Wounded Albanians in Pe^an of Suhareka

[07] Serb Artillery Shells Village of Drenoc, No Casualties Reported

[08] Four Albanians Wounded in Gjakova Area Last Night

[09] LDK General Council Calls for Early Meeting of Kosova Parliament, Possibly Within Week

[10] Serb Police Arrests Mother Teresa Activists in Gjakova

[11] Five Unidentified Victims Were Buried Last Week in Peja

[12] Heavy Serb Police Convoy Arrives in Peja from Vojvodina

[13] Firearm Shooting in Prishtina Sunday Night

[14] Serb Civilians and Police Harass Albanians in Gjilan

[01] Two Albanians Killed, Twelve Wounded in Today's Serb Attack near Suhareka

The killed were named as Muhamet Krasniqi (22) and Xhemajli Byty^i (20).

LDK sources said Serbian military troops positioned in Bira^ and Serb police forces in Shirok& shelled the village of Pe^an and its elementary school building at 7:15 in the morning today.

The village of Pe^an is two km away from Suhareka, not far from the Prishtina - Suhareka roadway.

An extremely grave situation is reported in the town of Suhareka today. Serb police and civilians have been engaged in a shooting spree aimed at instilling panic amongst the Albanians.

[02] Serb Forces Stepped Up Movement Reported in Fush& Kosova Villages

LDK sources in Obiliq told the KIC that Serb police have been moving towards the villages of Grabovc i Ul&t, Grabovc i Ep&rm and Shipitull&, where a large number of displaced families from Bardhi and Hade have found refuge in the wake of a Serb offensive in the area on 29 June.

Witnesses told the LDK chapter in Obiliq that Serb police in half a dozen vehicles and two tanks were deployed since morning at a key position called 'K&rshet', between Grabovc and Hade. At around 9 a.m. the police began advancing towards Grabovc i Ul&t.

More Serb forces have been reported moving in the direction of Grabovc later in the morning today.

The pretext of the fresh Serb buildup in the villages of Fush& Kosova is still unknown.

A source told the KIC that villagers of Shipitull& and Grabovc have been fleeing homes, moving in the direction of the neighboring Drenica region.

Meanwhile, the LDK Information Commission in Fush& Kosova said smoke was billowing this morning from a house and a shop of and Albanian in the town. The Commission said that the two buildings were apparently set in fire during the night.

[03] Firefighting Reported near Stant&rg Mining Town

At a location called 'Ura e Fazlis&' (Fazliu's Bridge), Serbian forces run into a barricade set up by the U^K. Fierce fighting broke out there, the LDK Information Commission in Mitrovica reported.

Reports said the Serb convoy consisted of three tanks, three Katjusha rocket launchers, three military lorries and three other lorries trailing anti-aircraft cannons, as well as three police armored vehicles, a lorry and a car.

Local sources claimed fighting went on in the night of Sunday, 12 July, from 22:00 hrs through 5 o'clock in the morning, in the vicinity of Stant&rg. There have been no immediate reports on damage or casualties.

[04] Serb Forces Attack Three Villages in De^an District

The fighting in the village was halted at 11:00 hrs today, local LDK sources said.

Serbian forces shelled for three hours today the village of Baballoq and Grama^el.

There have been no reported casualties.

[05] Serb Mortar Fire on Shipitull& and Sibovc, West of Prishtina

The Serb attack on these two villages began at around 13:00 hrs, an LDK activist told the KIC by phone.

Albanian farmsteads were being pounded with machine guns and mortars, he said at around half past one.

Early in the morning today, Serb forces began advancing towards the villages of Grabovc, Shipitull& and Sibovc, west of the open-pit coal mine at Bardhi (Bella^evc).

A large number of displaced families from the villages around the coal mine, Bardhi, Hade and Lismir, have found refuge in Grabovc, Sibovc and the neighboring Drenica region villages in the wake of a huge Serb army and police offensive in the area on 29 June.

Sources told the KIC today morning that residents of Shipitull& and Grabovc were fleeing homes as Serb forces were building up in the area.

[06] Names of 2 Killed and 13 Wounded Albanians in Pe^an of Suhareka

The killed were named as Muhamet Krasniqi and Xhemajli Byty^i, both of them in their mid twenties.

Three Albanians have been reported wounded seriously by the Serb shelling - Astrit Muhamet Gashi, Agron Dergut Gashi and Naser Nezir Hoxha - whereas the rest received light wounds: Bekim Rifat Bejtaj (24), Osman Sali Setaj, Gafurr Sali Shahinaj, Qazim Halil Gashi (20), Nazim Dalip Karaxha, Mufail Sejdi Fandaj, Misin Ramadan Sopaj and Hajdin Faik Pandaj, all of them from Pe^an, as well as G&zim Selman Byty^i and Ahmet Haki Gashi, residents of the town of Suhareka.

LDK sources said Serbian military troops positioned in Bira^ and Serb police forces in Shirok& shelled the village of Pe^an and its elementary school building at 7:15 in the morning today.

The village of Pe^an is two km away from Suhareka, not far from the Prishtina - Suhareka roadway.

[07] Serb Artillery Shells Village of Drenoc, No Casualties Reported

PRISHTINA, July 13 (KIC) - At 8 o'clock in the morning today, Serbian army shelled with heavy artillery the village of Drenoc, municipality of Rahovec, the local chapter of the human rights council (CDHRF) said.

Reports said no building in the village was actually hit. There were no reported casualties, either.

Three days ago 200 policemen arrived from Serbia in the town of Rahovec.

Groups of 7-8 armed policemen patrol the streets as part of a campaign of repression and intimidation.

Serb snipers have been stationed on top of buildings in the town, as well as on top and the terrace od the "Hotel-Park" in Rahovec, local sources said.

[08] Four Albanians Wounded in Gjakova Area Last Night

The villages of Nec and Smolic& have been the scene of fiercest clashes, local sources said.

Meanwhile, reports said four Albanians were wounded during the fighting last night. Three of the wounded were members of the Gjuraj family, and the fourth a member of the Bajraktari family, resident of the village of Shishman.

In the morning hours today the villages of Raskov& and Mal&si e Vog&l were shelled by Serb forces.

There have been no immediate reports on the extent of damage or casualties.

[09] LDK General Council Calls for Early Meeting of Kosova Parliament, Possibly Within Week

A great number of the General Council members discussed about the need for an immediate convening of the Parliament of the Republic of Kosova as well as the designation of a broadly-based Government of the Republic.

The following senior members of the LDK discussed today: Mehdi Bardhi, Fatmir Rexhepi, Bardhyl ^aushi, Ali Laj^i, Ilir Salihu, Rexhep Osmani, Shaip Surdulli, Agim Krasniqi, Fadil Hysaj, Milazim Krasniqi, Haki Shatri, Aqif Shehu, Fehmi Rexhepi, Adem Salihaj, Sanije Aliaj, Sabri Hamiti, Faruk Spahiu, Idriz Ajeti dhe Sabit Rrustemi.

All the LDK General Council members insisted that the Parliament of the Republic, elected in early spring, be constituted now. There was unanimous support for the proposal that the inaugural meeting be held within a week's time.

The Presidency and the General Council of the LDK have duly carried all necessary preparations for the constituting meeting of the Parliament, senior party officials said.

The LDK won most of the seats in the Parliament of Kosova in March, and Rugova was re-elected to the Presidency of Kosova with an overwhelming vote then.

The General Council of the LDK came up with these conclusions at the end of the meeting: - The international community is called upon to be resolute and place under protection the Albanian people of Kosova, who have been exposed to Serbian military aggression and ethnic cleansing; - To increase the presence of humanitarian organizations and distribution of relief supplies in Kosova and other countries the displaced people have found refuge, and to make efforts to create the conditions for the return of people to their homes; - The General Council stands for the strengthening of the state institutions of the Republic of Kosova, including the constituting of the Parliament of Kosova; - The General Council reaffirms its position that the best political solution is independence for the Republic of Kosova.

The next meeting of the LDK General Council will be on Wednesday, 15 July 1998.

[10] Serb Police Arrests Mother Teresa Activists in Gjakova

Ms. Fatime Boshnjaku, a coordinator, and Uran Luzha and Shar Hasimja, activists, were distributing humanitarian relief supplies when they were arrested around 14:00 hrs.

They were reported still in police custody today.

In Serb police custody is still Astrit Beqa, a secretary of the municipal Financial Council in Gjakova, LDK sources said, adding that the motive for his arrest is unknown.

Meanwhile, a local Mother Teresa activist in Shtime, Raif Reshiti, was questioned by police for an hour today.

On Friday, Mr. Reshiti was held for 12 hours in Serb police custody in Ferizaj ('Urosevac'), and reportedly beaten up on charges that besides food supplies he had sent medicines to the village of Petreshtic&.

Two Mother Teresa activists in Obiliq, Xhevdet Stullqaku and Selatin Hasani were wounded by Serb snipers on Saturday. The two humanitarian workers were attacked at Janovoda village after having delivered supplies to families in the neighboring village of Sibovc.

Xhevdet Stullqaku sustained life-threatening bullet wounds in his head and his life is still in a critical condition.

[11] Five Unidentified Victims Were Buried Last Week in Peja

The human bodies had been collected in the Peja district.

The identity of the buried people was unknown.

[12] Heavy Serb Police Convoy Arrives in Peja from Vojvodina

Eye-witnesses said 14 busloads of police reached Peja with license plates of Vojvodina, as well as several lorries shipping armament, and APCs and police cars.

[13] Firearm Shooting in Prishtina Sunday Night

Witnesses told the KIC that volleys of automatic fire were initially heard just after midnight in the vicinity of the "Crkvena mala" cafe in the "M.Popoviq" street. Only a few minutes later fire was opened from the cafe.

The Serb police who appeared at the scene sealed off a wider area.

LDK sources in the area could not learn what actually happened in or around the cafe last night.

Meanwhile, an Albanian from another Prishtina neighborhood, Velania, told the KIC today that he had been repeatedly beaten up by Serbian police over the past three days under the pretext of arms possession. Kadri Gashi said he was initially detained on 10 July and ordered to produce a gun. He denied being in possession of any peace of weapon but the police, nonetheless, beat him badly, Gashi said.

[14] Serb Civilians and Police Harass Albanians in Gjilan

LDK sources in Gjilan said an armed Serb thug harassed the two Albanians in the street with no reason whatsoever. Serb police officers who showed up soon instead of stopping the Serb from attacking the two brothers took the Albanians to the nearest police station.

Hysni Gashi and Feriz Gashi told the LDK chapter in Gjilan that while in police station they were tortured brutally by the police as well as a Serb civilian who happened to be there.

Meanwhile, the LDK Information Commission in Gjilan said more Serb civilians were supplied with weapons and ammunition in the central police station in the town on Sunday.

Hundreds of Serbs have been supplied with additional arms and ammunition in many places in Kosova over the past weeks.

Serb citizens, who have been given arms in Kosova openly, have been now asking for heavier pieces and more ammunition.

Reports from Gjilan speak of stepped up movement of Serb forces in the town and in the municipality.

Kosova Information Center

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