Kosova Daily Report #1501, 98-07-25

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1501
Prishtina, 25 July 1998

First Edition: 11:00 CET
Second Edition: 16:45 CET

CONTENTS

[01] Serbian Military and Police Mount Offensive Against Albanian Villages in Central Kosova

[02] Serb Offensive in Central Kosova Continues

[03] LDK: Today's Serb Offensive Extends Zones of Ethnic Cleansing of Albanians

[04] Increased Presence of Serb Forces in Gjakova

[05] Extremely Volatile Situation in Peja, Serbs Impose Virtual Siege Around Town

[06] Four Unidentified Bodies Lay Uncollected in Peja Morgue

[07] Serb Police Smash and Plunder Albanian-Owned Shops

[01] Serbian Military and Police Mount Offensive Against Albanian Villages in Central Kosova

PRISHTINA, July 25 (KIC) - Heavy Serbian military troops and police forces mounted at four o'clock in the morning today a large-scale attack against villages in central Kosova - the Gryka e Carralev&s [Carraleva mountain pass], the Gryka e Llapushnikut (Llapushnik mountain pass] and the villages surrounding Kijeva, a village 40 km west of Prishtina on the Prishtina-Peja highway.

The chairman of the LDK chapter in Shtimje, Ali Sadria, told the KIC Serbian forces attacked today morning the villages of the Gryka e Carralev&s: Belinc&, Zborc, Carralev& and Re^ak.

These villages in the small municipality of Shtimje are territorially linked with the villages in the Gryka e Llapushnikut and Komoran in the municipality of Gllogovc, as well as the villages in the municipality of Malisheva.

In Zborc, Serb forces advanced to the Badragji family compound, where two houses have been burned. Two houses have been burned also in the center of this village.

Shaban Neziri, a local activist with the Gllogovc chapter of the Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF, told the KIC early in the morning that huge Serb military and police forces were building up in Komoran during the night.

The LDK Information Commission in Gllogovc said at 02:40 a.m., Serb military troops and police left their base in the Ferrous Nickel ("Ferronikeli") plant and headed in the direction of Komoran. These forces were joined by other troops coming from Magura of Lipjan and Prishtina, which also streamed early in the morning towards Komoran.

These military and police troops have been positioned at a location called "^uka e Zabelit", and have been shelling the villages of Gryka e Llapushnikut. The houses of the two Albanian family compounds, Mulaku and Vilaku, in Komaran were in flames amidst the shelling by Serb forces.

Eye-witnesses said smoke was billowing from houses in the village of Pot&rk in the Llapushnik mountain pass.

The population of the town of Gllogovc and the nearby ^ikatova e Re village, fearful of fresh Serb massacres, have started deserting homes, fleeing to relatively safer parts of the Drenica region, local sources said A local LDK activist in the village of Likofc told the KIC Serb forces mounted a fierce attack against the Gryka e Llapushnikut at four o'clock in the morning today.

Meanwhile, reports from Klina villages said that Serb military and police forces have mounted today a large-scale offensive against the villages of Gremnik, Jashanic&, Gllarev& and other villages around Kijeva.

Serb forces have been attacking these villages with various arms from the Dollc checkpoint, from Dresnik and Pogragj&, as well as from a hillside called "Tikvesh", which is situated in the town of Klina itself.

From their position in the Kijeva checkpoint, Serb forces have been shelling the villages of Cerovik, Stapanic&, Rigjev&, Zab&rgj&, etc.

Heavy Serb forces with arms of all calibers have been concentrated near the "Nora" motel in Klina and in the Dollc checkpoint, the LDK Information Commission in Klina reported.

Latest reports said the road from Prishtina to Shtimje has been closed in Lipjan, a dozen km south of Prishtina.

Serb forces have turned back reporters at Sllatina village, 15 km south- west of Prishtina, preventing them from proceeding towards area under Serb attack today.

[02] Serb Offensive in Central Kosova Continues

Two dozen Albanian villages of the five municipalities - Shtimje, Suhareka, Gllogovc, Klina, Skenderaj - have been attacked, according to local sources.

Scarce has been the amount of information available to the KIC by late afternoon, as the area under attack is virtually sealed off by Serb forces.

The villages of Belinc&, Zborc, Carralev& and Re^ak in the Carraleva mountain pass were attacked early in the morning.

These villages in the small municipality of Shtimje are territorially linked with the villages in the Gryka e Llapushnikut and Komoran in the municipality of Gllogovc, as well as the villages in the municipality of Malisheva.

Yesterday afternoon special paramilitary police troops arrived in Shtime.

Serb military forces advanced to the Badragji family compound in Zborc, where two houses have been burned. Two houses have been burned also in the center of this village.

The local Albanian forces have been resisting Serbian attacks in this part of Kosova, sources said.

Shaban Neziri, a local activist with the Gllogovc chapter of the Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF), told the KIC early in the morning that huge Serb military and police forces were building up in Komoran during the night.

The LDK Information Commission in Gllogovc said at 02:40 a.m., Serb military troops and police left their base in the Ferrous Nickel ("Ferronikeli") plant and headed in the direction of Komoran. These forces were joined by other troops coming from Magura of Lipjan and Prishtina, which also streamed early in the morning towards Komoran.

These military and police troops have been positioned at a location called "^uka e Zabelit", and have been shelling the villages of Gryka e Llapushnikut. The houses of the two Albanian family compounds, Mulaku and Vilaku, in Komaran were in flames amidst the shelling by Serb forces.

Eye-witnesses said smoke was billowing from houses in the village of Pot&rk in the Llapushnik mountain pass. During overnight shelling, several houses were burned ar Sankoc village.

In Zllaku^an and the surrounding villages tens of Serb military tanks have been deployed, from which the Gryka e Llapushnikut is being reported shelled. Many houses have been reported burned at Vukovc village.

A local LDK activist in the village of Likofc told the KIC Serb forces mounted a fierce attack against the Gryka e Llapushnikut at four o'clock in the morning today.

Meanwhile, reports from Klina villages said that Serb military and police forces have mounted today a large-scale offensive against the villages of Gremnik, Jashanic&, Gllarev& and other villages around Kijeva, a village 40 km west of Prishtina.

Serb forces have been attacking these villages with various arms from the Dollc checkpoint, from Dresnik and Pogragj&, as well as from a hillside called "Tikvesh", which is situated in the town of Klina itself.

From their position in the Kijeva checkpoint, Serb forces have been shelling the villages of Cerovik, Stapanic&, Rigjev&, Zab&rgj&, etc.

Heavy Serb forces with arms of all calibers have been concentrated near the "Nora" motel in Klina and in the Dollc checkpoint, the LDK Information Commission in Klina reported.

A similar situation has been reported in the municipality of Skenderaj ('Srbica'), where huge Serb military and police forces have been building up since early morning. They have been shelling the villages of Klina e Ep&rme, Klina e Poshtme and Klina e Mesme, where several houses have been reported burned.

Heavy fighting between Serbian troops and local Albanian resistance forces has been reported in the village of Runik&. The village of Llaush& has been shelled too.

Meanwhile, reports said Serb forces have been attacking the villages of Bllac&, Duh&l, Javor, Luzhnic& and Grej^ec of the municipality of Suhareka ('Suva Reka'). Some 30 tanks and other Serb combat equipment, positioned along the Shtime-Prizren roadway, have been firing in the direction of these villages.

Three Albanians are known to have been wounded in Bllac& - Imer Bajraktari, Fatmir H. Guraziu, and a third unnamed man - whereas a number of houses have been destroyed.

Local Albanian resistance forces have been battling with Serb forces in this part of Kosova.

Latest reports indicate fighting is going on.

Meanwhile, fresh Serb troops and military hardware have been sent into Kosova via the northern Kosovar town of Podujeva.

A Serb military convoy drove through the Podujeva-Prishtina road at 14:00 hrs today.

[03] LDK: Today's Serb Offensive Extends Zones of Ethnic Cleansing of Albanians

In a statement, the LDK, the strongest political force in Kosova, said today's offensive comes in the wake of the Serb massacres in Rahovec and the outlying villages last week. "The offensive extends further the zones of ethnic cleansing and destruction of Albanian settlements, [the Serbs] resorting to the scorched-earth strategy, so as to prevent a return of displaced people".

The LDK said it is indicative that the large-scale offensive has been launched by Serbian troops today, on week-end, in a bid to commit atrocities and ethnic cleansing far away from the public eye and the attention of the international community.

The LDK called on the United States of America, NATO, the European Union and the UN to act urgently to press Belgrade into halting its current offensive and the ethnic cleansing and destruction brought by it.

"If this outright aggression is not brought to an end, the danger of a bloody conflict engulfing the entire region becomes greater", the LDK concluded.

[04] Increased Presence of Serb Forces in Gjakova

The LDK Information Commission in the town said Serb barricades and snipers have been placed in and around the post office in the center of Gjakova. A new police checkpoint has been set up in one of the entrances to Gjakova.

In the so-called 'Serbian street' in the town, Serbs have placed barricades and have been standing guard during night-time.

Serb police have been located in secondary school buildings.

The citizens who dared go out in the streets were intimidated and harassed by Serb forces in Gjakova yesterday.

[05] Extremely Volatile Situation in Peja, Serbs Impose Virtual Siege Around Town

The local LDK chapter in Peja, the second biggest Kosovar town 80 km west of Prishtina, said heavy Serb forces have laid a virtual siege around the town since early in the morning. Serb policemen manning roadblocks in many places of the town have been preventing the people from getting in and out.

Besides the routes leading to war-torn areas in De^an and Gjakova, the Serb forces have blockaded today roads which lead to Mitrovica and Rozhaje in Montenegro.

Serbs have been digging trenches around the brick factory compounds in Peja, the LDK Information Commission said.

The movement of the people in the streets of Peja has been drastically reduced over the last weeks, especially in the afternoon and evening hours. Although Saturday is a market day in Peja, only a few people could be seen out in the streets and all shops have been closed today, sources said.

The upper part of the town which includes the large neighborhood of Kapishnica and the area around the town hospital has been sealed off. Increased Serb patrols have been roaming the "Tabe" neighborhood, as well as other parts of the town.

Witnesses have told the LDK chapter in Peja that Serb forces have been raiding Albanian houses in parts of the town, the Kapishnica neighborhood in particular.

Over the past couple of days, the Serb forces have stepped up house-to- house raid campaigns in Peja.

Scores of Albanian have brutalized under obscure charges of having harbored members of the U^K.

[06] Four Unidentified Bodies Lay Uncollected in Peja Morgue

PRISHTINA, July 25 (KIC) - The chapter of the Prishtina-based Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) in Peja said four unidentified bodies have been kept in the town morgue for days.

The Serb police authorities in Peja have ordered officials of the Muslim community in the town to collect the bodies and bury them.

The CDHRF could not obtain other details related to the identity of the four bodies, including their gender, cause of the death, or indeed the day they were taken to the morgue.

Meanwhile, the LDK chapter in Peja said it has learned the identity of two men killed in still unsolved circumstances in a Peja street Thursday evening. The LDK said the two victims were brothers Bakir Gjuka and Adem Gjuka, residents of Peja.

No word still about details surrounding their death. The LDK Information Commission in Peja has quoted witnesses as saying that before being killed they were seen in a red "Zastava"-made car with Peja license plates. The bodies of the two Albanians were only removed the following morning, while the area where the incident occurred was guarded by Serb police during the whole night.

[07] Serb Police Smash and Plunder Albanian-Owned Shops

The LDK chapter in Mitrovica said Serb policemen broke half a dozen shops and boutiques in the mining town of Stant&rg on Wednesday night. Goods worth over 10 000 German marks was carried out from a boutique, owned by Remzi Osmani in Stant&rg. In addition, the Serb police smashed windows and goods they did not take away.

The LDK Information Commission in Mitrovica said Serb policemen robbed a 14- year-old boy of his money in the street in Mitrovica Friday morning. In addition, Liridon Ahmeti was beaten up with no reason at all, the Commission said.

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