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Kosova Daily Report #1523, 98-08-16
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1523
Prishtina, 16 August 1998
CONTENTS
[01] Serb Bombardment of Loxh& Resumes Today Morning
[02] At Least 5 Albanians, Four Women and Man Killed, 10 Wounded in De^an
and Peja Villages Saturday
[03] 1000 Kosovar Albanians Flee to Rozhaje in Two days
[04] Sllapuzhan Village of Suhareka Bombarded for One Hour Sunday
[01] Serb Bombardment of Loxh& Resumes Today Morning
PRISHTINA, Aug 16 (KIC) - Serbian military and police forces shelled the
village of Loxh&, near Peja, for half an hour yesterday (Saturday), from
20:30 through 21:00 hrs. Serb infantry units tried to enter the village,
local LDK sources said. There have been no reports indicating that they
have managed to do so.
There was intermittent bombardment of the village overnight.
Today morning, beginning at 8:10, Serbian artillery resumed shelling the
village of Loxh&. Many buildings have been reportedly hit.
The nearby villages of Raushiq and Graboc have been reported bombarded,
too.
The villages of Loxh& and Raushiq were subjected to aerial and ground
bombardment early in the morning yesterday, which marked the start of a
huge offensive against more than a dozen Albanian villages along the Peja-
De^an roadway.
[02] At Least 5 Albanians, Four Women and Man Killed, 10 Wounded in De^an
and Peja Villages Saturday
PRISHTINA, Aug 16 (KIC) - The Serbian offensive against a dozen Albanian
villages along the Peja-De^an roadway, which started early in the morning
yesterday (Saturday) went on well into late afternoon.
The shelling of the villages of De^an and Peja - Strellc i Ul&t, Isniq,
Prapa^an, Dobovik, Krushec, Broliq, Raushiq, Loxh&, Grabovc, Kotradiq,
Vranoc - continued in the afternoon, local sources said.
The LDK sources in De^an told the KIC Saturday afternoon at least five
Albanians were confirmed killed and ten others wounded during the Serb
offensive yesterday.
Of those killed, four were women, three of whom old women, whereas amongst
the wounded a pregnant woman.
From Serb shells, which landed in areas where the civilian population had
gathered in the villages, the following were killed: Ahmet Deli Shala (22)
from Loxh&; Xhev& Daut Hulaj (80) from Hulaj, who had found refuge in
Dabiq; Hatmane Xhemaj (83) from Strellc i Ep&rm, sheltered in Prapa^an;
Ajshe (Halit) Aliaj (75) from Kodrali, sheltered in Krushec; and Xhylshahe
Mazrekaj (48) from Prejlepi, sheltered in Strellc i Ul&t.
The following Albanians received wounds from Serb shells: Adem Berisha,
Zek& Hoxha, Jusuf Shala, Abaz ^ekaj from Graboc, Hasim Bajram Cacaj (22)
from De^an, Abedin Haxhi Morina (23) from Loxh&, Valbon& Shala (f, 23), a
pregnant woman, Ruke Shala (f, 60), Shk&lzen ^eku (45) and Gani Elezaj.
In cases like yesterday's large-scale Serb military and police offensive
actions, the determining the casualty-toll has been a painfully slow
process, with information being received piecemeal.
[03] 1000 Kosovar Albanians Flee to Rozhaje in Two days
Serbs ambush refugees en route to Montenegro, 2 Albanians wounded, several
apprehended PRISHTINA, Aug 16 (KIC) - Sources in Rozhaje, Montenegro, said
at least 1000 Kosovar Albanians, mainly from De^an and Peja regions,
have reached the town over the past two days in the wake of the recent Serb
forces offensive in the area.
Refugees from the war-torn areas in the western Kosova have been reported
ambushed and gunned down by Serbs while attempting to make it to safer
areas in Kosova and the neighboring republic of Montenegro.
At least two Albanians were wounded and several others apprehended last
Tuesday night, witnesses said.
The Democratic League of Albanians in Montenegro said 25 Albanians from
De^an area were ambushed Tuesday night on the hills between Kosova and
Montenegro. Serb forces opened unwarranted fire on them, they said.
Idriz Imeri and Ali Zuki from Isniq village of De^an who managed to escape
the Serb trap and reach the town of Rozhaje in Montenegro said the police
did not issue any warning, but simply opened fire on the refugees. Two were
wounded, while at least 5 were apprehended on the occasion. Witnesses said
they knew nothing about the rest of the people scattered in the mountains
in a bid to avoid Serb reprisals.
The witnesses named the two wounded Albanians as Mustaf& Imeri and Bashkim
Balaj, both of them residents of Isniq village. They could also learn the
identity of the two Albanians who were apprehended by Serbs: Bujar Mehmeti,
Xhavit Haklaj. The identity of others remains unknown.
[04] Sllapuzhan Village of Suhareka Bombarded for One Hour Sunday
PRISHTINA, Aug 16 (KIC) - The village of Sllapuzhan in Suhareka was pounded
for over one hour with heavy artillery fire today morning.
The attack against the village was kicked off at around 7 a.m., sources
said.
Witnesses in Suhareka said the echo of detonations coming from the
Sllapuzhan could be heard in the town itself. The village was attacked from
a Serb army and police base at Biraq.
No immediate report about possible casualties has been available.
The majority of the local population, including refugees who were shelter
there earlier, fled the village in the wake of to huge attacks on Friday
night and Saturday morning.
The LDK Information Commission in Suhareka said three other villages in the
municipality - Duhla, Bllaca and Maqiteva - were attacked by the Serb
troops on Saturday. Duhla and Bllaca were turned into the rubble after with
Serb infantry backed, up by armored vehicles, setting afire whatever was
left in the two villages.
Kosova Information Center
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