Kosova Daily Report #1654, 99-01-05
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1654
Prishtina, 5 January 1999
CONTENTS
[01] President Rugova Receives U.S. Envoy for Kosova
[02] Two Albanians Killed by Unknown Gunmen Monday Evening
[03] Heavy Serbian Police Forces Deployed in Mitrovica and Surrounding
Villages
[04] Serbian Forces Maintain Heavy, Intimidating Presence in Podujeva Area
[05] Over 30 Young Albanians Arrested by Serb Police in Gjakova Monday
[06] Lez and Jeshkov& Villages Held under Siege
[07] Serb Police Continues Firing on Obiliq Villages
[01] President Rugova Receives U.S. Envoy for Kosova
PRISHTINA, Jan 5 (KIC) - The President of the Republic of Kosova Ibrahim
Rugova received today (Tuesday) Ambassador Chris Hill, the U.S. envoy for
Kosova, to discuss the current situation and the need for the speeding up
of the political process in pursuit of a settlement to the Kosova issue.
President Ibrahim Rugova said the situation in Kosova continues to be
grave. He emphasized that efforts should be intensified to bring an end to
the ongoing Serbian violence and stop the killings that have been occurring
recently in different parts of Kosova.
[02] Two Albanians Killed by Unknown Gunmen Monday Evening
PRISHTINA, Jan 5 (KIC) - Two Albanians, Bekim Sali Miftari (26) and Qerim
Rrahmani (33), residents of two villages of Viti municipality, were killed
late Monday evening by unknown gunmen near a gas station by the Viti-
G&rlic& roadside, the local chapter in Viti of the Prishtina-based Council
for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) reported.
No other details have been made known. The gas station "Burimi" is owned by
Zymber Miftari.
Family members of the killed Albanians said they had no quarrel with
anybody.
Eight more people - six Albanians and two Serbs - were killed in the past
six days in Kosova in yet unsolved circumstances.
International monitors in Kosova have called these days 'calm'.
[03] Heavy Serbian Police Forces Deployed in Mitrovica and Surrounding
Villages
Albanian households raided, family members abused and arrested
PRISHTINA, Jan 5 (KIC) - Heavy Serbian police forces have been stationed
today in the town of Mitrovica, and have reportedly been engaged in a
campaign of violence and intimidation of Albanian motorists and
passers-bye.
LDK and CDHRF sources said the police have set up random road blocks near
the bus station and at the exit road from Mitrovica leading to Skenderaj.
Serbian police backed up by mechanized units have been deployed in the
Shipol suburbs of Mitrovica, in the outskirts leading to Zubin Potok, and
in the villages of Zhabar i Posht&m and Zhabar i Ep&rm, source said.
Many Albanian houses in the Ura e Gjakut and Shipol neighborhoods have been
raided by huge Serb police forces today, allegedly in connection with arms
searches. Albanians have been threatened with liquidation "this coming
summer", the LDK and CDHRF said, offering details on the raids and names of
Albanian families targeted.
Some Albanians were taken for questioning, others arrested.
The police ill-treated Lam Kurti's (60) children, Resmije (f, 14), Sebahate
(f, 16) and Muharrem (18) during the raid. They were eventually arrested.
Some 20 Serb policemen manning a checkpoint near the town waterworks in
Mitrovica stopped a Lada car coming from Skenderaj at 14:00 hrs today. Two
young persons were taken out and arrested, LDK sources said.
Meanwhile, four Serb police stopped today morning Shefik Kurteshi (26) in
Vushtrri and beat him up with truncheons for an hour on obscure charges of
being an U^K member.
[04] Serbian Forces Maintain Heavy, Intimidating Presence in Podujeva Area
PRISHTINA, Jan 5 (KIC) - A column of Serbian army tanks left the Dumosh
airfield, southeast of the town of Podujeva, passed along the villages of
Sve^&l and Ballofc and reached Podujeva today morning, LDK sources said.
The Serb tanks turned near the "Besiana" motel and travelled the Podujeva-
Prishtina road before proceeding to 'Tabet e Llapashtic&s' in south-west
Podujeva, the area of fierce clashes between Serb military and the U^K
(Kosova Liberation Army) around Christmas.
After spending some time there, the Serb tanks left the outskirts of
Llapashtic& and returned back to Dumosh via Lluzhan village, a dozen km
south of Podujeva on the Prishtina-Podujeva highway.
It was the return of Serbian military and police troops, withdrawn
partially and temporarily in the aftermath of the Holbrooke- Milosevic
agreements last October, that preceded the actual Serbian attack of 24
December, lasting for four days, which left at least 17 Albanians killed, a
dozen of whom civilians.
The LDK chapter in Podujeva said seven Serb police armoured troop carriers
and an armoured vehicle left Podujeva for K&rpimeh, 10 km north of the town,
where there is a Serb police station, and then returned to Podujeva,
patrolling the town streets.
An eye-witness said 2 lorryloads and 2 busloads of Serbian soldiers backed
up by an armoured vehicle were seen at Besi - Milloshev& crossroads heading
for the Podujeva region today.
Meanwhile, sources from Podujeva said Rexhep Idriz Demiri (36), resident of
Obran^& village of Podujeva, has been missing since 24 December 1998, the
day of the Serbian offensive in the area.
Thousands of Albanian villagers fled their homes around Christmas, many of
whom have not yet returned out of fear from renewed Serb offensive
operations in the heavily militarized area.
[05] Over 30 Young Albanians Arrested by Serb Police in Gjakova Monday
PRISHTINA, Jan 5 (KIC) - The Serbian police Monday evening cracked down on
young Albanians in the town of Gjakova, south-west of Kosova, arresting
more than 30 young Albanians during a sweep on the town pubs, the LDK
chapter in Gjakova said.
The Albanians were taken to the police station and held for hours in
custody, during which time they were reported ill-treated. Some of them
have not been released yet, the LDK sources said.
The Serb police alleged it was tracking down 'terrorists', the usual term
for Albanians the Serb regime picks up to terrorize itself.
Meanwhile, the Serb regime has set up a paramilitary force - a self-styled
local 'police' composed of ethnic Albanian collaborators - to crack down on
Albanians in the Gjakova area.
Muharrem Jakupi, resident of Osek-Hyl& village, a notorious collaborator
and member of the Serb militia, has abused physically even his brother,
Haziz Jakupi.
The LDK sources said 15 Serb policemen were led by another militiamen,
Marjan Abazi, raided the home of Ram& Reka, Haziz's family friend, with
whom Haziz and his family have been staying for months.
After the raid, the Serb police and their Albanian collaborators arrested
Ram&'s son, Lulzim Reka, and Haziz Jakupi. Lulzim is still in Serb
custody.
Muharrem Jakupi ill-treated his brother Haziz for refusing to collaborate
with the Serbian occupier, the LDK chapter in Gjakova said.
[06] Lez and Jeshkov& Villages Held under Siege
PRISHTINA, Jan 5 (KIC) - Amidst a heavy presence of Serbian military and
police forces, the situation in the border villages in Prizren municipality
has continued to be grave, LDK sources in Prizren said. The municipality
borders on Albania.
The Albanian population in the villages of Lez and Jeshkov& is being held
under a complete siege by Serbian forces, LDK sources claimed.
Meanwhile, the LDK chapter said Xhemail Sallauka (32) was reported arrested
on 31 December. A resident of Budakova village of Suhareka, the Albanian
was taken by police while returning from the Prizren hospital together with
his sick mother.
Mr. Sallauka, who has been sheltered for months in the town of Prizren, is
still reported in custody. The motive for his arrest and continued custody
has not been made known.
[07] Serb Police Continues Firing on Obiliq Villages
PRISHTINA, Jan 5 (KIC) - There was a stepped up movement of Serbian police
forces in the small town of Obiliq today. Serb police backed up by two
armoured vehicles passed today morning through Plemetin and reached Hamidi,
the local chapter of the Council for the Defense of Human Rights and
Freedoms (CDHRF) in Obiliq said.
At the Bakshi-Raskov&-Besi crossroads, Serb police checked Albanian
motorists and passengers and robbed them of their money, the CDHRF added.
Serbian police forces, which have been dug in "K&rshat e Grabovcit", have
been firing on outlying Albanian villages on a daily basis, local sources
said.
The so-called 'industrial police' (a privately-hired Serb militia) of the
Kosova Electric Power company has been ill-treating Albanians at the
village of Dardhisht& ('Krusevac'), sources said, denying reports that this
Serb self-styled police and local Albanians are getting along well.
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