Kosova Daily Report #1555, 98-09-17

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1555
Prishtina, 17 September 1998

First Edition: 13:30 CET
Second Edition: 18:00 CET

CONTENTS

[01] Serb Forces Burn Two Villages Completely, at Least 13 Wounded in Attacked Villages

[02] Tensions Run High in Podujeva Area, Many Missing and Feared Dead

[03] Eight Vushtrri Villages Deserted in Wake of Recent Serb Attack

[04] Gunfire Reported in Village North of Prishtina Wednesday Evening

[05] Serb Forces Close in on Shal� e Bajgor�s Region, North-West Kosova

[06] Dobratin Village Torched by Serb Troops Thursday

[07] Police Issues Ultimatums to Podujeva Villages

[08] Police Raids Three Albanian Family Compounds in Baj�in� Village

[09] Serb Forces Impose Virtual Siege in Podujeva

[10] Apprehension over Missing Albanians in Podujeva

[11] Police Arrests and Ill-treats Albanians in Mitrovica Area

[01] Serb Forces Burn Two Villages Completely, at Least 13 Wounded in Attacked Villages

PRISHTINA, Sept 17 (KIC) - Local LDK and CDHRF (Council for Human Rights) sources in Mitrovica reported Serb tanks and infantry units had advanced into a number of villages of the Shal� e Bajgor�s region in the triangle between Mitrovica, Podujeva and Vushtrri ('Vucitrn').

Two villages, Zab�rxh� and Vidishiq, with 35 and 78 houses, respectively, have been burnt to the ground by Serb forces, as well as the Voca family compound at Maxher� village with 13 houses in all. Local schoolhouses in Zab�rxh� and Vidishiq have been burnt to the ground, too.

80 houses have been burnt or levelled to the ground in Melenic� village, which had 100 houses in all.

Serb forces have been stationed in the villages of Zab�rxh� and Mazhiq.

There have been reports of killed and wounded. At least 13 Albanians are known to have been wounded.

Eye-witnesses said Serb police had set afire the house of Hamit Preteni (36) in Melenic� while he and his mother, Shefkije Preteni (68), were inside the house.

At six o'clock in the morning today (Thursday), Serb forces started shelling the village of Bare in Shal� e Bajgor�s region, local sources in Mitrovica said.

[02] Tensions Run High in Podujeva Area, Many Missing and Feared Dead

Sources in the area told the KIC today morning that after having pounded for many hours the Ka�anoll village, the Serb troops advanced into it, and embarked on a campaign of terror and brutality against the local population. Part of the population managed to flee the villages before the Serb encroachment, but many are believed holed up in their homes.

LDK activists in Podujeva said Serb massacres in the village are feared.

Reports said in another village, Dobratin, the Albanians who were being held as hostage in the local schoolhouse were released yesterday afternoon. Serb troops backed up by heavy armament were garrisoned there instead.

Witnesses told the LDK chapter in Podujeva that the Serbs had burned several farmhouses in Dobratin.

The population fled the village during the past two days, but some of them who could not make it out are believed to be trapped in their homes. Local sources named some of those who could not leave the village, including Xhemajl Rexhepi and his wife, Maksut Rekaliu along with his brother, as well Xhafer Ajvazi.

Serbs have been raiding Albanian houses, looting commodities and taking them away in trucks, witnesses said.

The town of Podujeva itself has been packed with Serb forces who have been halting and checking identities of every one in the streets and entrances to the town.

A Serb police helicopter flew overhead the town of Podujeva and the surrounding villages overnight.

[03] Eight Vushtrri Villages Deserted in Wake of Recent Serb Attack

A local LDK activist in Vushtrri ('Vucitrn') told the KIC ninety percent of the Shal� region's displace population has sought refuge in Vushtrri area.

[04] Gunfire Reported in Village North of Prishtina Wednesday Evening

It is not known what the nature of the shooting was, nor who was behind it.

Part of the village population left their homes temporarily.

In the evening hours Thursday Serb police turned back people travelling the Prishtina-Podujeva road.

[05] Serb Forces Close in on Shal� e Bajgor�s Region, North-West Kosova

LDK sources in Mitrovica said the villages of Kutllovc, Mazhiq, T�rsten�, Bare, Bajgor�, Kova�ic�, Ka�anoll, Magjer�, Stari T�rg, etc, were all in flames, smoke billowing from them.

Zab�rxh� and Vidishiq villages of Shal� were reported burned to the ground early in the morning Tuesday.

An unspecified number of casualties has been reported.

Some 50,000 Albanians of the three municipalities have been turned into refugees virtually overnight, with most of them seeking refuge in the nearest towns or in capital Prishtina itself.

On Thursday, Serb forces embarked on a retaliatory expedition in the villages straddling the Podujeva - K�rpimeh roadway.

[06] Dobratin Village Torched by Serb Troops Thursday

Two days, heavy Serb military and police troops were stationed in Dobratin village. Serb forces have now torched it.

The village population, virtually 100 percent Albanian, deserted their homes on Tuesday.

Lorryloads of commodities and appliances were seen being taken away by Serb troops in the run-up to the actual torching of the houses.

[07] Police Issues Ultimatums to Podujeva Villages

The Serb police ordered Mr. Hoxha to secure that the residents of seven villages which make his constituency - K�rpimeh, Pakashtic�, Dob�rdol, Revu��, Zakut�, Metohi and Rep� - hand in the weapons they possess within 24 hours or risk reprisals.

Ramadan Hoxha was ordred to report back to the Serb police with local LDK party chiefs in all the seven villages in connection with the 24-hour-long ultimatum.

[08] Police Raids Three Albanian Family Compounds in Baj�in� Village

Most of the residents have already deserted their homes. Two days ago heavy Serb troops, backed up by tanks, were deployed in the village suburbs. They have been shelling Shal� e Bajgor�s region from that position.

The Lepaja, �itaku and Mu�olli family compounds have been reported raided by Serb forces today. No other details have ben made available from the area which is sealed off by Serbs.

[09] Serb Forces Impose Virtual Siege in Podujeva

Quoting residents of the villages which have been shelled by Serb troops in the past couple of days in the Shal� e Bajgor�s region (an area in the triangle between Mitrovica, Vushtrri and Podujeva), the LDK chapter in Podujeva said looting of houses preceded the actual setting ablaze of Albanian houses in the village of Dobratin, 7-8 km north of Podujeva in the foot of the mountainous Bajgor� region from the north.

The first families from Ka�anoll, the village of Shal�s e Bajgor�s, have arrived in the town of Podujeva.

Reports said the Serb military and paramilitary units have reached a point called 'Picel', where heavy fighting is said to be going on between them and the local Albanian resistance forces, the U�K.

There have been no confirmed reports on casualties as yet.

The situation in the town of Podujeva is highly tense, with displaced people arriving by the hour in the town, or else proceeding towards Prishtina.

The Albanian doctor, Dr. Fadil Dabinovci, working with the local medical center in Podujeva, was held for several hours in police custody yesterday. He was arrested in his workplace. He was taken for further questioning twice today, local sources said.

[10] Apprehension over Missing Albanians in Podujeva

The LDK chapter in Podujeva said Thursday afternoon three Albanians from Llapi, Muhamet Fazliu (36) from Llausha, and to others from Dobratin village, Ejup Sejdiu (36) and Rrahim Ramadani (16), have been missing since Tuesday.

The three men were seen last when heading for their villages of origin in order to evacuate their families in the face of an imminent Serb crackdown.

Their family members fear that the three men could have been captured and/or slain by Serb forces.

The LDK chapter said other persons from the villages west of Podujeva have also gone missing.

[11] Police Arrests and Ill-treats Albanians in Mitrovica Area

Ali Sadri Beqiri (72), Xhafer Veseli Veseli (48) from Koshtova e Vllahis� village, as well as Aziz Emin Sherifi (68) and his wife Afije (54) from Ceraja were reported arrested there.

In addition, Selman Miran Tahiri (25), Fazli Miran Tahiri (30), Arsim Fazli Tahiri (22), and Syle Selman Tahiri (f, 25), residents of Stari T�rg, have been taken off a bus and arrested by Serb police, LDK sources said.

Basri Ibrahimi, a local human rights activist from Shupkoci, Beqir Tupella, from K�i�i i Vog�l, and Bajram Ibrahimin have been arrested, too.

A number of Albanians were arrested in the police-checkpoint yesterday, taken to the Serb police in Mitrovica, where beaten up.

The police has been ill-treating Albanians and preventing them from actually proceeding to Mitrovica.

Two Albanians, Miftar Gashi (36), Qabiq village of Klina, a refugee in a Mitrovica village, and Naim Jahir Kurti (17), from Vllahi village, were arrested near the main gas station in Mitrovica yesterday.

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