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Kosova Daily Report #1576, 98-10-08
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1576
Prishtina, 8 October 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Villages near Malisheva Come under Renewed Serb Fire Thursday
[02] The KIC Head Enver Maloku Held for Three Hours in Police Custody,
Threatened Wednesday
[03] Heavy Serb Forces and Arsenal Deployed in Dollc, Klina
[04] Serb Soldiers and Reservists Concentrated in Gllobo^ic&, Ka^anik
[05] Five Albanian Villages in Obiliq Municipality Virtually Sealed Off
[06] Repositioning Serb Troops Garrisoned in Factory Halls in Gjakova
[07] Serb Policemen and Soldiers Crack Down on Albanian Hamlet in Gjakova
[08] Over 5000 Refugees Crammed at Ngucat, Baby and Woman Die from Freeze
[01] Villages near Malisheva Come under Renewed Serb Fire Thursday
PRISHTINA, Oct 8 (KIC) - Serb forces garrisoned at Dragobil and Astrazub
villages near Malisheva launched an artillery attack against the outlying
Albanian villages just after midday (Thursday), local sources reported.
The Serb attacks was concentrated on the villages of Maxharr&, Dragobil and
Marali, but several shells landed in the villages Shkoz& and Janqiq, about
8 km away, the LDK Information Commission of Malisheva said. Farmhouses
were hit and damaged in Maxharr& and Deragobil, the Commission said failing
to tell if there were any casualties there.
At least four villages in the municipality of Malisheva, central Kosova,
have been repeatedly pounded with machine-gun and artillery fire since
Tuesday afternoon.
[02] The KIC Head Enver Maloku Held for Three Hours in Police Custody,
Threatened Wednesday
Maloku was target of an assassination attempt on 18 July 1998
PRISHTINA, Oct 8 (KIC) - Mr. Enver Maloku, the head of the Kosova
Information Center (KIC) and editor-in-chief of the Informatori evening
daily newspaper, was detained Wednesday evening by armed Serb policemen in
Prishtina.
Mr. Maloku and his co-traveller were halted in front of the Kosova National
Theater At around 20:30 hrs, and were taken to a police station in town,
where they were held in custody till 23:45 hrs.
During this time, Mr. Maloku was questioned about his works, papers, photos,
cassettes and other things professional that were in his possession.
Going through audiovisual cassettes with material filmed by amateur
cameramen on the ground in Kosova (showing refugees, ruined houses, killed
people, etc.), Serb police/security officers were mostly inquisitive about
a possible cooperation of Mr. Maloku and the KIC with Western media.
Unformed and plain-clothes policemen were involved in the questioning. A
man in plain clothes, apparently a Serb security officer, threatened Maloku
and his family.
A number of personal belongings, including his mobile computer/telephone,
and stuff related to his professional journalistic work, were held up by
Serb police when Enver Maloku and his companion were released at 23:45 hrs
on Wednesday.
The KIC head was told he would have to report back to the Serb security on
Thursday morning to reclaim the confiscated things.
On Thursday morning, Maloku's mobile phone was still operating and in use
by Serb police. Maloku will claim his confiscated belongings through a
lawyer.
The questioning, harassment and threatening Mr. Maloku was subject to
Wednesday evening can in no way be seen outside the declared policies and
pattern of repression practiced by the Serb regime against professional,
journalistic and political, activities of the Albanians in Kosova.
On 18 July 1998, an unidentified gunman shot at but missed Mr. Enver Maloku
in the entrance of his flat in Prishtina. The assassination attempt was
condemned strongly by Kosova Albanian political and professional circles,
but was not investigated by competent authorities.
[03] Heavy Serb Forces and Arsenal Deployed in Dollc, Klina
PRISHTINA, Oct 8 (KIC) - On Tuesday, large Serb military and police forces
equipped with heavy combat equipmant were deployed in the hillside of the
village of Dollc, as well as at a location called "Kroni i hajnave".
The arsenal included tanks, armoured cars, and rocket launchers, the LDK
chapter in Klina reported.
The Serb forces now concentrated in Dollc came from the direction of Peja
and Gjakova, sources said.
[04] Serb Soldiers and Reservists Concentrated in Gllobo^ic&, Ka^anik
PRISHTINA, Oct 8 (KIC) - Fresh Serb soldiers and reservists have been
deployed in a Serb military outpost in Gllobo^ic&, municipality of Ka^anik,
in the past couple of days, LDK sources said.
The forces have been digging in and surveilling the terrain in key
positions in the village.
The Albanian population of the village of Gllobo^ic& lives now in fear
because of the concentration of Serb troops.
[05] Five Albanian Villages in Obiliq Municipality Virtually Sealed Off
PRISHTINA, Oct 8 (KIC) - Since June, the villages of Grabovc i Ep&rm,
Shipitull&, Sibovc, Lajthisht& ('Leskosic') and Hamidi of the municipality
of Obiliq have been under virtual siege, with the Albanian population's
movement hugely restricted. Serb snipers keep everything that moves under
their watchful eye, local LDK sources said.
There has been sporadic gunfire at a location called "K&rshat e Grabocit"
after the last Serb offensive. The Albanian population is fearful of
returning back to their homes.
Serb forces have continued burning property of Albanians in the village of
Grabovc, and the Hajredinaj family compound fired upon, local sources
said.
Meanwhile, around 11:00 hrs today, Serb air jest flew overhead the Obiliq
area.
[06] Repositioning Serb Troops Garrisoned in Factory Halls in Gjakova
Fresh Serb troop enter Kosova from Serbia Thursday morning
PRISHTINA, Oct 8 (KIC) - Since early in the morning today (Thursday) Serb
police and military troops have moved in into the halls of a couple of
factories in Gjakova, local sources reported.
Serb troops as well as armament and other combat equipment were deployed in
the "Modeli" furniture factory and in the halls of a brick factory in a
Gjakova suburb.
Albanian watchmen and hall-keepers in both the factories have been
dismissed, the LDK chapter in Gjakova said.
Most of the combat equipment and trucks have been take to the halls of the
factories, while part of it, including artillery pieces, have been dug in
or/and camouflaged in the compounds of these tow factories.
Meanwhile, sources in Podujeva said another convoy of Serb military
vehicles entered Kosova from Serbia today morning.Serb troops in 4 buses
and 3 armored vehicles were seen heading in the direction of capital
Prishtina this morning.
Around 40 Serb military tanks entered Kosova from Serbia on Wednesday too.
[07] Serb Policemen and Soldiers Crack Down on Albanian Hamlet in Gjakova
PRISHTINA, Oct 8 (KIC) - Heavily armed Serb policemen and soldiers cracked
down brutally early in the morning today on the houses of several Albanians
at Janosh hamlet near Gjakova, harassing family members and arresting at
least three men subsequently.
Ali Geci, Pjeter Geci, local villagers, and Rasim Hajdari from a village
near De^an whose family had sought shelter in this village in the wake of
the Serb attacks in his region, were arrested by the Serb forces.
The LDK chapter in Gjakova said the Serb raid on Albanian homes in Janosh
was excessively brutal. The Serbs smashed doors, windows and households,
and brutalized family members for a couple of hours.
The three Albanians were reported still in Serb custody by midday today.
[08] Over 5000 Refugees Crammed at Ngucat, Baby and Woman Die from Freeze
PRISHTINA, Oct 8 (KIC) - At least five thousand uprooted persons have
crammed the Ngucat village of Malisheva, facing freezing and starvation,
the Malisheva LDK Information Commission said today.
Ham&z Shala, a local activist in Ngucat, said they had called on the
Doctors of the World and the International Red Cross to assist the IDP's in
the village and around it with food and medical supplies but the two
agencies have been denied access there village by the Serbs forces holding
several positions in the area.
Thousands of other IDP's have been staying in other places around Ngucat
village, most of them been sleeping under makeshift plastic tents. Besides
IDP's from the area, many of them are from the municipalities of Gllogovc,
Klina and Suahreka, the source said.
Only two days ago, a little girl died in the refugee camping site in Ngucat
because of the lack of medication.
Sources in the neighboring municipality of Klina said that a 48- woman,
Zemrije Bacaliu (48), resident of Kijeva, died on Tuesday while in an
attempt to cross the Drini river. The late Zemrie Bacaliu, mother of six,
was returning with her family from Zajm village where they had been
sheltered for several months now.
Kosova Information Center
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