Kosova Daily Report #1490, 98-07-14
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1490
Prishtina, 14 July 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Four Albanians Wounded by Serb Shelling of the Shala e Bajgor&s
Region
[02] Serbian Troops Shell Border Villages Today
[03] Serb Forces Shell Two Villages in Obiliq Municipality Monday
[04] European Union Seeks U.N. Backing for Action on Kosova
[01] Four Albanians Wounded by Serb Shelling of the Shala e Bajgor&s
Region
PRISHTINA, July 14 (KIC) - Four members of the U^K (Kosova Liberation Army)
have been wounded during the fighting of the past few days between Serbian
military and police and local Albanian resistance forces in the region of
Shala e Bajgor&s, local sources said.
Serbs reportedly suffered loses and material damage.
LDK sources in Mitrovica said the Albanian fighters did not receive life-
threatening wounds.
Several houses have been damaged by Serb shelling in the village of Bare.
The villages of Stant&rg ('Stari Trg'), Vidishiq, Mazhiq, Rashan and Pasom&
have been reported shelled, too.
Meanwhile, reports from Vushtrri said many Albanian residents of the
villages of the Shala e Bajgor&s fled their homes in the wake of
yesterday's shelling of the region.
Many of the evacuees have found refuge in the municipality of Vushtrri, LDK
sources said.
Vushtrri has been the destination of many Albanians displaced from the
Drenica region, in the wake of the Serbian military-police aggression in
early March.
[02] Serbian Troops Shell Border Villages Today
PRISHTINA, July 14 (KIC) - Since early morning today (Tuesday), Serbian
military, paramilitary, and police forces have been shelling the Reka e
Keqe villages in the border area with Albania, an area stretching from Nec
to the Junik region, LDK sources in Gjalova said.
The sound of heavy blast can be heard in the town of Gjakova itself, the
main city in southwestern Kosova.
Local Albanian resistance forces, including the U^K, have been putting up a
fierce resistance, sources said, adding that they could not obtain further
details regarding the extent of damages or casualty toll on either side.
Serb army and police troops have been leaving the town of Gjakova for the
Reka e Keqe region today.
Meanwhile, LDK sources said an Albanian, Ali Rrustemi, resident of the
Babaj i Bok&s village of Reka e Keqe, died today in the town hospital in
Gjakova of serious wounds he had received during a Serb army attack a few
days ago.
Another wounded Albanian has been in hospital, sources added.
Ms Fatime Boshnjaku, a local official with the Mother Teresa charity,
arrested a couple of days ago, is still in custody. The other local
activist, Astrit Beqa, arrested the same day, has been taken to the Serb-
run Peja investigating court, local sources said.
Serbian Military Fires Artillery from Landovica
PRISHTINA, July 14 (KIC) - In the night of Monday, from 22:00 to 02:00 hrs,
Serbian military troops fired artillery from their base in Landovica, the
LDK Information Commission in Prizren said.
Supposedly, Serb military were firing in the direction of Suhareka.
Two Albanians were killed and 13 others wounded yesterday morning in the
village of Pe^an, near Suhareka, when Serb forces shelled the area .
[03] Serb Forces Shell Two Villages in Obiliq Municipality Monday
2PRISHTINA, July 14 (KIC) - Yesterday (Monday) several houses of two
Albanian family compounds were damaged by Serbian shelling of the village
of Shipitull&, municipality of Obiliq, the LDK Information Commission in
Obiliq reported.
The village of Siboc was also targeted in the shelling, which was of a
lower intensity there.
At 4 o'clock in the morning today, gunfire was reported in the direction of
the village of Palaj ('Vodica') and the Kosova B power plant area near
Obiliq...
At a location called "K&rshi i Grabocit" fresh Serb forces were reported
deployed today morning. Heavy Serb police forces backed up by tanks and
heavy armament were deployed there on Monday.
Two local villagers of Shipitulla, Rasim Mjekiqi and Daut Mjekiqi, have
been missing since yesterday. Quoting witnesses in the village, the LDK
chapter in Obiliq said they were seen last while on their way to their
fields and halted by the police. Local population in several Obiliq
villages, including Shipitulla, Graboci i Ul&t and Siboci have fled their
homes over the past days amidst rapid increase of Serb forces in the area.
Meanwhile, the LDK information commission in Obiliq said Serb snipers
wounded on Monday an old Albanian from Lajthishta (Leshkoshic) village.
Ibush T&rbushani (62) was wounded while walking to his home near a coal
roller conveyer in the vicinity of the Kosova B power plant.
[04] European Union Seeks U.N. Backing for Action on Kosova
PRISHTINA, July 14 (KIC) - The European Union (EU) foreign ministers,
meeting in Brussels on Monday, called for United Nations backing for
"further action" in Kosova.
"The Council supported the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution
putting the UN's authority behind the requirements expected of the Parties
by the international community. Should the required steps not be taken, the
Council endorsed the principle of further action under the UN Charter to
bring about compliance by those who block the process. It is the
understanding of the Council that such action would be under Chapter VII of
the UN Charter.", the key point in the EU statement said.
The U.N. Charter's Chapter 7 authorises foreign military intervention to
preserve peace.
The Council of EU foreign ministers expressed "its grave concern at the
continuing violence and loss of life in Kosovo, particularly among the
civilian population."
It called for an immediate cessation of all hostilities in Kosova and "the
restart of a political process with direct international involvement
between the Parties."
The Council reiterated that a solution for Kosova can be found "neither
through the maintenance of the status quo nor through independence, but
through a special status, including a large degree of autonomy within the
FRY."
The Council welcomed the intention of the Contact Group to set in hand work
to define possible further elements for the future status of Kosova.
The Council of EU ministers for the "outstanding provisions of the 12 June
Contact Group Statement" to be implemented. In this light it recalled the
necessity of further action by the Belgrade authorities on the withdrawal
of security forces used for civilian repression in Kosova, unimpeded access
for observers, the full return of refugees and displaced persons to their
homes and free and unimpeded access for humanitarian organizations and
supplies to Kosova.
The Council welcomed the UNHCR's "regional approach" to the refugee
question and pledged its continuing support for efforts to create the
conditions for an early return of refugees throughout the region.
Further, the EU statement said the Council noted that the Prosecutor of
ICTY had expressed the view that the situation in Kosova represents "an
armed conflict within the terms of the Tribunal's mandate". So both
Belgrade and others on the ground in Kosova are called on to cooperate with
the Prosecutor's investigation, the Council said.
At the end of the statement, the Council of EU Ministers reiterated its
full support for Mr Felipe Gonzalez as Special Representative for the FRY.
British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook referred to the EU statement as the 15-
nation bloc's "firmest" yet.
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