|
|
|
Kosova Daily Report #1727, 99-03-21
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1727
Prishtina, 21 March 1999
CONTENTS
[01] Kosovar Delegation Returns Home on Sunday
[02] Three Albanians Killed, Seven Wounded, in Two Podujeva Villages on
Saturday
[03] Serbian Troops Shell Podujeva Villages Sunday
[04] Albanian Family Compound Looted and Burned by Serb Forces in Barilev&
Village, North of Prishtina
[05] Prishtina - Podujeva Highway Blocked for a Second day in a Row
[06] Serbian Forces Shell Vushtrri Villages at the Foot of ^i^avica
Mountains
[07] Serbian Forces Burning Albanian Houses in Four Vushtrri Villages
[08] Serbian Forces Shell Skenderaj and Shal& e Bajgor&s Villages
[09] At Least Three Albanians Killed in Skenderaj on Saturday
[10] Serb Forces Torch Albanian Houses in Skenderaj
[11] 70 Serbian Army Tanks Deployed in Lipjan Area
[12] Albanian Seriously Wounded by Serb Snipers at Poklek i Ri Village of
Gllogovc
[01] Kosovar Delegation Returns Home on Sunday
PRISHTINA, March 21 (KIC) - Most of the members of the Kosovar delegation
to the Rambouillet/Paris conference arrived in capital Prishtina at noon
today (Sunday).
The delegation put off its trip to the United States because of the grave
situation in Kosova.
The Kosovar delegation, including President Ibrahim Rugova, were flown by a
French military aircraft to Tirana/Albania and Shkup/FYROM, respectively,
on Saturday.
They travelled by road to the Kosova capital today.
The President of the Republic of Kosova, Ibrahim Rugova, said in Prishtina
today the situation in Kosova "awful" and pressed for an urgent
international intervention.
Asked to say whether he expected NATO intervention against Serbian targets,
Rugova said NATO has been deliberating about this, and it will decide on
it.
"The time is quickly running out, and NATO should intervene so that no more
people are killed in Kosova", President Ibrahim Rugova told reporters in
front of his residence in Prishtina.
The Kosovar delegation has signed the Rambouillet accords, so the
conference has ended, Ibrahim Rugova said in reply to a question.
The U^K representatives to the Kosova delegation at the peace conference
flew to Tirana, Albania, on Saturday. They said they would return to Kosova
on their own.
[02] Three Albanians Killed, Seven Wounded, in Two Podujeva Villages on
Saturday
PRISHTINA, March 21 (KIC) - Two young Albanians, brother and sister, were
killed yesterday (Saturday) when a Serbian shell landed in their T&rrnav&
village of northern Podujeva municipality.
Three other members of the same family were wounded in the incident,
sources said.
Local LDK sources said an eight-year-old boy, Fidaim Xhemajli, the son of
Rrahman Xhemajli, resident of Dobratin village of Podujeva, who had sought
refuge in T&rrnav&, was killed. Rrahman (54) himself, his wife Bahtie (43),
and their son Ilir (10) were wounded from the shell. Ilir was operated upon
and had one of his kidneys removed.
Fatally wounded was also Rrahman's daughter, Zylfije (14), who had both of
her legs cut when the Serb shell landed. She remained in the woods. Eye-
witness accounts from Dyz village said she died eventually of wounds she
had suffered.
Rrahman Xhemajli was staying as a refugee with a family in T&rrnav&,
because his home had been burned in Dobratin during the autumn Serbian
offensive.
Likewise yesterday, Nexhmi Ka^iu (47), resident of Lup^ i Posht&m, also a
refugee, was wounded in T&rrnav&. He was on a tractor trying to get his
family out of the village, when shrapnel from a shell that landed nearby
wounded him.
Meanwhile, a woman was killed by Serbian forces today in Ka^ibeg village of
Podujeva and at least four others were wounded, local LDK sources said.
Dyz village has been flooded by Albanians who fled yesterday and overnight
their home villages of Bellopoj&, T&rrnav& and Halabak.
Many people spent the night rough in the open.
Many Ka^ibeg residents have arrived in Dyz today. Ka^ibeg, a village
neighboring on the Dumosh airfield, which has been turned into a Serb
military base for months now, has been attacked by Serb forces for the
first time today.
[03] Serbian Troops Shell Podujeva Villages Sunday
PRISHTINA, March 21 (KIC) - Serbian military troops started pounding a
number of Podujeva villages at 8 o'clock in the morning today (Sunday),
local sources said, adding that the heaviest shelling was targeted at
villages around Lluzhan, which straddles Prishtina-Podujeva highway, namely
Godishnjak&, Sallabaj&, Penuh and Buric&.
Serbian troops have launched a fierce heavy guns and artillery fire from
the Dumosh airfield, which has for months now been turned into a military
base with huge combat arsenal.
Many Albanian houses have been reported in flames in the attacked villages
of Godishnjak&, Sallabaj&, Penuh and Konushec.
The Albanian residents of the villages of Dumosh, Sekira^&, Siboc, Gllamnik
and outlying areas in the vicinity have been fleeing their homes, local LDK
sources said.
[04] Albanian Family Compound Looted and Burned by Serb Forces in Barilev&
Village, North of Prishtina
PRISHTINA, March 21 (KIC) - Heavy Serbian forces were stationed in the
villages of Barilev&, Besi, Prugoc, Vranidoll and Rimanisht&, municipality
of Prishtina.
Amidst Serbian gunfire in the area, residents of the villages fled their
homes.
The Llumnica family compound at Barilev& village fared worst yesterday,
sources said. 14 out of the overall 20 houses in the family compound were
initially looted, then burned by Serbian forces.
Reports that could not be immediately confirmed spoke of four Albanians
wounded in the village of Rimanisht& yesterday.
[05] Prishtina - Podujeva Highway Blocked for a Second day in a Row
PRISHTINA, March 21 (KIC) - The Prishtina - Podujeva highway has been
blocked for a second day in a row today (Sunday), amidst continued Serbian
military and police operations in several villages of the Prishtina and
Podujeva municipalities in the north of the country.
[06] Serbian Forces Shell Vushtrri Villages at the Foot of ^i^avica
Mountains
PRISHTINA, March 21 (KIC) - Early in the morning today (Sunday), at 6:40
CET, Serbian forces resumed shelling the Vushtrri villages at the foot of
the ^i^avica mountains, local LDK sources in the northwestern municipality
of Vushtrri reported.
Fresh Serbian troops and armor have been sent to the area as reinforcements
in the past twenty four hours.
A huge Serbian army convoy - consisting of 30 combat vehicles - left
Prishtina for Vushtrri late Saturday afternoon. A Serbian military police
convoy headed towards the village of Bruznik Saturday evening, to be
eventually positioned between the villages of Bruznik and Nevolan.
Yet another Serb police convoy involving as many as 35 vehicles was
stationed today morning near the village of Nevolan at 9:00 CET today
morning.
A number of Albanian houses have been reported burned by Serb forces in the
villages of Nevolan and Bruznik.
More Albanian villages were reported being burned today morning in the
village of Taragj&.
Today morning, at 9:30 CET, a Serb army convoy of 26 vehicles departing
from Mitrovica joined the Serbian forces in the village of Dobovc, already
site of a huge Serbian combat arsenal.
[07] Serbian Forces Burning Albanian Houses in Four Vushtrri Villages
PRISHTINA, March 21 (KIC) - Just before noon today (Sunday), four Serbian
tanks entered Novolan village and paramilitary police ordered Albanians to
abandon their homes in five minutes, local LDK sources in Vushtrri
reported.
Today, Serbian forces have set on fire Albanian houses in the villages of
Koll&, Brusnik, Nevolan and Mihaliq.
Automatic weapons fire was reported in the town of Vushtrri at 12:25 CET
today.
[08] Serbian Forces Shell Skenderaj and Shal& e Bajgor&s Villages
PRISHTINA, March 21 (KIC) - Combined Serbian army and police troops started
today morning, at 5:30 CET, shelling the villages of Llaush&, Polac and
Prekaz, municipality of Skenderaj ('Srbica').
Meanwhile, at 8:15 CET, Serbian forces launched an artillery attack against
the villages of Melenic&, Trep^ali, Rashan, Mazhiq, Maxher& and Bare in the
Shal& e Bajgor&s region in northwestern Kosova.
Local LDK sources in Mitrovica said the sound of heavy shelling was being
heard in the town of Mitrovica.
There has been no immediate word on the consequences, however.
[09] At Least Three Albanians Killed in Skenderaj on Saturday
PRISHTINA, March 21 (KIC) - At least three Albanians were shot dead by
Serbian forces in Skenderaj ('Srbica'), local LDK sources in Mitrovica
reported.
The confirmed victims were brothers Sejdi (Zeqir) Zeqiri (29) and Refki
(Zeqir) Zeqiri (24), resident of Vojnik& village of Skenderaj municipality,
and Agim Berisha (30), resident of Gjurgjevik i Madh village of Klina
municipality.
Unconfirmed reports said Serb forces killed other people, too, allegedly
taking their bodies to unknown destinations.
As many as 200 Albanians were reported arrested yesterday, some of whom
were released in the evening. Many are still reported in police custody.
Arms shooting was reported Saturday afternoon in the neighborhoods of
"Ibri" and "Kroi i Vitakut" of Mitrovica.
Armed Serbian civilians were reported roaming the streets in Mitrovica
yesterday.
Meanwhile, sources from Gllogovc said a number of Albanian mourners were
arrested during a funeral yesterday at Dobroshevc village of Gllogovc.
Rexhep, Murtez, Jusuf, Zymer, Salih, Mursel and Osman Hajdari, as well as a
number of other mourners, were arrested while attending the funeral of Mrs
Zade Hajdari.
The fate of the arrested people remains unknown, local sources said.
Only a few elderly people remain in the village of Dobroshevc, which has
been under siege by Serb forces.
[10] Serb Forces Torch Albanian Houses in Skenderaj
PRISHTINA, March 21 (KIC) - Serbian forces have been torching Albanian
houses in two neighborhoods in the town of Skenderaj ("Srbica") today,
local sources said. There are people inside some of the houses, so there is
fear they might fall victim to this Serbian arsenic campaign.
Serbian forces raided virtually all Albanian houses in the town of
Skenderaj yesterday, arresting many people, some of whom were taken to the
Mitrovica police station. This campaign has been reported continuing
today.
Electricity and telephone lines have been cut to the town of Skenderaj for
a week now. Drinking water has been cut to the town for a year now.
[11] 70 Serbian Army Tanks Deployed in Lipjan Area
PRISHTINA, March 21 (KIC) - 71 Serbian army tanks were transported by train
from Fush& Kosova ('Kosovo Polje') to Lipjan yesterday.
Some of them were later stationed at Grack& e Vjet&r village, aiming the
villages of Banull& e Gllogoc, whereas the rest were stationed at Rufc i
Madh, at the Kodra e K&r^oc&s (K&r^oca hill), local LDK sources in Lipjan
reported.
Huge population movements were reported from the villages of Magur&,
Qyqulag& and Puturroc. They sought refuge in the villages of Dobraj& e
Madhe, Rufc and Ribar i Vog&l.
[12] Albanian Seriously Wounded by Serb Snipers at Poklek i Ri Village of
Gllogovc
PRISHTINA, March 21 (KIC) - Vesel Dervishi, 45, was shot and wounded in his
village of Poklek i Ri by Serbian sniper fire yesterday, local people told
the KIC.
Dervishi was in his family house courtyard when he was shot. He has been
reported in a critical condition.
Kosova Information Center
|
