Kosova Daily Report #1719, 99-03-13

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1719
Prishtina, 13 March 1999

First Edition: 14:00 CET
Second Edition: 17:15 CET

CONTENTS

[01] Two Heavy Explosions in Podujeva, Scores of Casualties Reported Early Afternoon Today

[02] Serbian Forces Resume Shelling Three Vushtrri Villages

[03] Serbs Launch Fierce Attack against Seven Villages in Northwestern Kosova

[04] Albanian Houses in Mihaliq and Druar Burned by Serbian Forces

[05] Albanian Flee Homes in Vitia Village as Serb Troops and Armor Move in

[06] Some 3,000 Albanians Driven from their Homes in Three Ka^anik Villages

[07] Albanian High School Student Goes Missing in Prishtina

[08] Kosova Delegation Departs for Paris Today Afternoon

[09] Powerful Bomb Explodes in Mitrovica, at Least Four Killed, Thirty Injured

[10] At Least 2 Confirmed Dead, as Many as 28 Injured in Two Explosions in Podujeva

[01] Two Heavy Explosions in Podujeva, Scores of Casualties Reported Early Afternoon Today

PRISHTINA, March 13 (KIC) - A heavy explosion occurred in downtown Podujeva, near the town market, just past 13:00 CET today, to only be followed by a second, perhaps even more powerful, explosion ten minutes later in another part, the very center of the town, near the post office in Podujeva, 30 km north of capital Prishtina.

Many casualties are feared to have resulted from the two incidents.

Initial, still unconfirmed, reports say five people have been killed, and as many as thirty wounded.

Besnik Shabani (20) has been confirmed as killed, whereas Shukrije Berisha (f, 30) and Jusuf Jusufi, resident of Dumnic& village, have been reported seriously wounded.

Local LDK sources said the explosive device in the second detonation had been planted in a garbage container near a kiosk on the main avenue of the town of Podujeva, home to 20,000, 99 percent of whom Albanians.

The wounded people have been taken to the Podujeva Health Center, but also to Prishtina.

Today (Saturday) is a market-day in Podujeva. The town is packed with people on Saturdays.

The marketplace, where the first explosion took place, has been blocked by Serbian forces.

The OSCE KVM headquarters in Prishtina had by 14:00 CET confirmed information on five wounded people in the first explosion in Podujeva.

[02] Serbian Forces Resume Shelling Three Vushtrri Villages

The sound of heavy shelling can be heard in the town of Vushtrri, 25 km northwest of Prishtina, and on the eastern side of the municipality.

Serbs have been pounding Albanian villages from their bases in Bukosh and Dolak. There has been no immediate word on casualties, LDK sources said late in the morning today.

An extremely dangerous situation has been reported in other villages at the foot of the ^i^avica massif, on the western side of the Vushtrri municipality. The village of Brusnik was shelled last night. The Serb armor targeted mostly two Albanian family compounds, Muzaqi and Shaqiri.

Last night, Serbian forces continued shelling the villages of Mihaliq, Druar and Bivolak, municipality of Vushtrri.

Haki Ademi (32), resident of Druar, was shot and wounded yesterday in his native village. There has been no immediate word on possible casualties in other villages.

[03] Serbs Launch Fierce Attack against Seven Villages in Northwestern Kosova

PRISHTINA, March 13 (KIC) - Serbian military and paramilitary police forces launched today (Saturday) a fierce attack against the villages of Vaganic& and Verrnic&, municipality of Mitrovica, such as Galic&, Oshlan, Pantin& and Lkej of Vushtrri, and Lubavec of Skenderaj.

Heavy detonations have been heard in these villages since 7:30 CET today, local LDK sources in Mitrovica said.

Smoke has been billowing from these attacked villages.

At 12:20 CET today, the shelling intensified, and ground-to-ground rockets were reported being employed by Serbian forces.

In Vaganic& and Verrnic&, in the neighboring villages of Vushtrri, as well as in Lubavec village of Skenderaj ('Skenderaj'), heavy and small arms fire was heard also last night, from 18:00 CET on Friday through 02:00 CET on Saturday. Two dozen Serb shells landed in the village of Verrnic&, and 16 others in Lubavec last night. No casualties were reported.

Serbian soldiers have been forcefully occupying or vandalizing Albanian houses in Frash&r i Vog&l village of Mitrovica, local sources said.

Meanwhile, the Serbian-run District Court in Mitrovica on Friday sentenced an Albanian to 10 years in prison on trumped-up political charges. Isa Qerkinaj, resident of Obri village of Gllogovc municipality, was tried on 'association for illegal activities' charges.

[04] Albanian Houses in Mihaliq and Druar Burned by Serbian Forces

Four Serb army lorries and four APCs left for Mihaliq today, whereas an army tank for Bukosh village.

Several Albanian villages were reported being burned around noon in the villages of Mihaliq and Druar, whereas Grac& was being shelled by Serb forces in Be^uk.

[05] Albanian Flee Homes in Vitia Village as Serb Troops and Armor Move in

The Serbian army told the OSCE they would engage in training exercises there, whereas local residents were told they had gone there to "defend themselves against NATO" troops.

The village would be "turned into ashes" should a single bullet be fired at the Serb forces, the Serb army warned. "You better stay inside your cellars, in case stray shells do not hit your homes", the Albanian residents were told, 500 of 720 of whom have fled their homes now, local LDK sources said. Most of them have crossed over to FYROM in search of safety.

[06] Some 3,000 Albanians Driven from their Homes in Three Ka^anik Villages

Stepped up movements of Serbian forces were reported in Hani i &lezit ('General Jankovic') area yesterday. A number of people were arrested. Sabri and Mejdi S. Kova^i, residents of Kova^ec village were arrested while travelling with their car. Muharrem B. Dullovi, resident of Bi^ec, was also reported arrested yesterday.

[07] Albanian High School Student Goes Missing in Prishtina

The family reported the case with the OSCE KVM and the Serbian police, but no information on the fate of Bedri Beqiri could be obtained.

[08] Kosova Delegation Departs for Paris Today Afternoon

There was a considerable delay because U^K representatives to the delegation, who were driven to the airport by the OSCE KVM, were late.

The conference on Kosova will resume in Paris on Monday, 15 March.

[09] Powerful Bomb Explodes in Mitrovica, at Least Four Killed, Thirty Injured

Local LDK sources, quoting eye-witnesses, said five to six people might have died in the explosion.

The wounded have been taken to the Mitrovica hospital, which has been sealed off by Serb police forces.

[10] At Least 2 Confirmed Dead, as Many as 28 Injured in Two Explosions in Podujeva

Besnik Shabani (20), resident of Podujeva, died of wounds in the town clinic, whereas a resident of Majanc village died in the Prishtina hospital of wounds he suffered in Podujeva.

Initial, unconfirmed sources spoke earlier of at least five killed, at a time the number of wounded people was put at 28.

Among the seriously and lightly wounded in Podujeva are also Remzi Mu^olli, Jakup Visoka, Murat Hodolli, Adile Sheholli, Genc T.

Hasani, Shukrije Berisha, Jusuf Jusufi, and Muharrem Zejnullahu.

Some of the wounded have been taken directly to the Prishtina hospital, while most of them remained in the Podujeva clinic for lack of ambulances.

Meanwhile, Serbian forces shelled the Podujeva villages, on the western side of the Llapi river, including Bradash, an U^K stronghold, for at least one and a half hours beginning at 15:00 CET today (Saturday), local sources said.

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