Kosova Daily Report #1729, 99-03-23

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1729
Prishtina, 23 March 1999

CONTENTS

[01] Five Albanians Killed by Serb Police in Suhareka on Monday

[02] Three Albanians Killed, Six Wounded in Several Terrorist Attacks in Prishtina on Monday Evening

[03] Two Albanians Killed, Six Wounded During Serb Shelling of Grabovc and Hade Villages of Obiliq on Monday

[04] Serbian Offensive, Burning of Albanian Houses in Podujeva Area Continues

[05] Serbian Shelling of Vushtrri Villages Continues

[06] Albanian Teacher of English Found Murdered at the Edge Vushtrri

[07] Shelling of Drenica Villages Continues Unabated

[08] Thousands of Civilians in Qirez Threatened by Humanitarian Catastrophe and Serbian Attacks

[09] Three Albanian Children Missing in Prishtina since Sunday

[10] Detonations in Petrov& Village of Shtime

[01] Five Albanians Killed by Serb Police in Suhareka on Monday

The number of killed Albanians may well exceed that number, local sources said.

The Albanians were killed in retaliation for the killing Monday, at 14:00 CET, of a Serb man in downtown Suhareka. For a couple of hours then, Serb snipers engaged in a shooting campaign in the town.

Police arrested and physically abused many Albanians in the town Monday. Among those arrested were Vitor Markaj, vice-chairman of the LDK chapter in Suhareka, Destan Berisha, a local human rights activist, and Agron Bajraktari, an LDK activist, who were taken to the Prizren police before being released eventually.

The house of an Albanian was burned in downtown Suhareka on Monday.

[02] Three Albanians Killed, Six Wounded in Several Terrorist Attacks in Prishtina on Monday Evening

In another terrorist attack, Miss Leonora Lutolli was killed when unknown assailants opened arms fire in the Albanian-run "Magjik" cafe in Prishtina past 20:00 CET, Serbian media reported.

Meanwhile, the Albanian-language Koha Ditore newspaper gave a somewhat different account, saying that Leonora Lutolli was wounded, as well as Fadil Dragaj, whereas Miss Adriana Abdullahu was killed in the arms shooting attack in the Magjik cafe.

Also on Monday, at 17:30 CET, Kushtrim Gashi was found killed with gunshot wounds in the Bregu i Diellit neighborhood of Prishtina.

Meanwhile, a mentally sick person, Bekim Musa (28), native of Pozharan village of Gjilan, currently resident in Prishtina, was shot and wounded by the Serbian police in the Dragodani neighborhood of Prishtina at around 18:30 CET on Monday Musa was shot and wounded in the leg, and taken to the hospital.

Serbian police sealed of the Dragodan neighborhood for three hours in the aftermath of the shooting of the Albanian, local sources said.

Yet another Albanian, Mehedin Bekteshi (1969), resident of Prishtina, was shot and wounded in a drive-by attack in downtown Prishtina on Monday, at 18:45 CET, Unknown persons shot from a passing Golf car, hitting Bekteshi with four bullets on his leg and arm, the Prishtina-based chapter for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) reported.

[03] Two Albanians Killed, Six Wounded During Serb Shelling of Grabovc and Hade Villages of Obiliq on Monday

The killed was named as Ilir Ademi (26). The wounded are said to be refugees from Dobrashefc village.

Huge material damage has been reported caused by the Serbian shelling of the village.

Meanwhile, an Albanian, whose name has not been made known yet, was killed during the Serbian shelling of the village of Hade, also in the municipality of Obiliq, some 7 km south of capital Prishtina.

Serb forces shelled Hade for three hours, from 15:00 through 17:00 CET, on Monday.

Local LDK sources said the village of Palaj ('Vodica'), which like Hade has a large refugee population, has been sealed off by Serbian forces today (Tuesday).

[04] Serbian Offensive, Burning of Albanian Houses in Podujeva Area Continues

PRISHTINA, March 23 (KIC) - The gunfire reported in the morning hours in the Podujeva area died down in the meantime, but an extremely dangerous situation continues there, local sources told the KIC early afternoon today.

Two Albanians, Shaban Spanca (57) and his daughter-in-law, who were killed Monday in the village of Ka^ibeg were buried in the evening hours.

Two Albanians were wounded when Serbian shells landed in the village of Sfe^&l on Monday. They are Halil Halili (65), a local resident, and Xhevrie Toshi (f, 22), resident of Penuh&, a refuge in Sfe^&l.

The houses of Sylejman and Abdullah Visoka were hit by Serbian shells which landed in Sfe^&l village on Monday. Huge material damage was reported, but no casualties.

In the village of Gllamnik, which straddles the Prishtina - Podujeva roadway, the houses of Ragip Spahiu, Ejup Selmani, Milazim and Rexhep Osmani, as well as Ahmet Mustafa, have been reported burned by Serbian forces. The factory of plastic products, owned by Ragip Mustafa, was also burned.

Several Albanian houses in the suburbs of Podujeva, adjacent to a location called 'Qershit& e Llapashtic&s', have been set afire by Serbian forces today, local sources reported.

The villages that were shelled yesterday and last night were in flames and smoke all night long, local sources said.

The town of Podujeva has been flooded with Albanians driven from their home villages in the municipality.

Most of the refugee population from the rural area have gathered in the villages of Balloc, Lladoc, Hertic&, and Shajkoc, on the eastern part of the municipality of Podujeva.

Serbian police reservists, who arrived yesterday in four buses, have been accommodated in a local school building in the town of Podujeva.

The Prishtina - Podujeva highway and the Podujeva - K&rpimeh roadway have been reported still blocked by huge Serbian forces today.

[05] Serbian Shelling of Vushtrri Villages Continues

Meanwhile, at 6:45 CET today (Tuesday), Serbian forces positioned at Oshlan started shelling the villages at the foot of the ^i^avica mountains, sources added.

Many Albanian houses in the villages of Be^uk, Strofc, Koll& and Nevolan have been reported in flames and smoldering.

Fresh Serbian forces have been moving into the area under attack for some time now. Serbian military troops and armor headed towards the villages of Druar and Mihaliq today morning, local LDK sources said.

[06] Albanian Teacher of English Found Murdered at the Edge Vushtrri

They failed to say how Mr. Sk&nder Bllaca (30), resident of Stanovc i Ep&rm village, was murdered.

[07] Shelling of Drenica Villages Continues Unabated

The villages of T&rstenik and Verbovc were reported shelled today by Serbian forces, at a time heavy fighting has been going on between Serbian forces and the U^K units in Krushec village of Skenderaj.

The elementary school building in Polac village was reported burned on Monday.

Residential areas were targeted today, and ground-to-ground rockets were reported being used by Serbian forces.

[08] Thousands of Civilians in Qirez Threatened by Humanitarian Catastrophe and Serbian Attacks

Speaking about the situation in the villages on the right side of the road from T&rstenik to Skenderaj, Mr. Ymeri said the Serbian military has advanced into the village of Baks, where Albanian houses, initially looted, have been seen in flames and smoke.

The villages of Prelloc and Krasaliq, at the foot of ^i^avica mountains, have already been burned down, the local activist claims.

Serbian troops in the Drenica region have been shelling from all sides, but the fiercest fire has originated from the Ferronikeli industrial compound in Gllogovc, Mr. Abdyl Ymeri said.

He said during the Serbian offensive in the past few days the following villages have been burned down: Polac, Prekaz i Ul&t, Prekaz i Ep&rm, Duboc, Lubovec, Krasaliq and Prelloc.

The Albanian population from the villages of Gradic&, Duboc, Gllanasell&, as well as the Vushtrri villages of Oshlan, Novolan, Bukosh, Taraxh&, Pantin&, have fled their homes and sought refuge in Qirez, many of whom camping out there.

They are all on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe as of today, Abdyl Ymeri emphasized. They lack basics, he added, noting that the danger for them comes also from the fact that they have been under a virtual ring of steel by huge Serbian forces.

[09] Three Albanian Children Missing in Prishtina since Sunday

A member of the Gashi family said the three children had gone out as street vendors.

They live in the Proleteri street in Prishtina, not far from the location where four Serb policemen were killed in a drive-by shooting in Miladin Popovic street in the capital on Sunday evening.

[10] Detonations in Petrov& Village of Shtime

Meanwhile, a Serb tank was stationed in the courtyard of the local elementary school "Emin Duraku" in the town of Shtime.

A Serbian military convoy passed through Shtime today, heading for Prizren.

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