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Kosova Daily Report #1532, 98-08-25
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1532
Prishtina, 25 August 1998
CONTENTS
[01] At Least 25 Albanians Killed in Kosova in Two Days
[02] Serbian Military Shells Malisheva Villages
[03] Three Aid Workers Die as Serb Shell Hits Relief Car
[04] Serb Offensive against Suhareka Villages Escalates
[05] Many Arrested in Rugova Region in the Wake of Serb Attack
[06] 11 Albanians Buried, Only Two Identified, in Gjakova Today
[07] Heavy Detonations Heard Coming from Kosova-Albania Border Area
[08] Serbs Burn to the Ground Tens of Houses of Albanians in Lipjan
[01] At Least 25 Albanians Killed in Kosova in Two Days
PRISHTINA, Aug 25 (KIC) - The latest Serb offensive in Kosova, mainly in
central and south-west parts, has left at least 25 dead Albanians and many
other wounded, the Prishina-based Bujku newspaper said today.
Since last weekend, the Serb troops have unleashed a huge offensive against
Albanian villages and towns in the municipalities of Gllogovc, Lipjan,
Shtime, Suhareke, Malisheva and Gjakova.
Bujku noted that many victims were children, women and elderly persons, who
found themselves trapped in their villages under Serb fire.
The Serb attacks extended to areas that were not directly affected in the
six month-old offensive, including the Rugova region in the in west of
Kosova, and many villages in the Lipjan municipality, close to the
Prishtina airport.
At least 50 villages across Kosova have been attacked, a large number of
houses, destroyed or/and burned by the Serb troops over the past three days,
making thus more people homeless and refugees, Bujku said.
The newspaper noted that one Albanian died from Serb police torture during
this past weekend, being he the fourth Albanian to have died in Serb
custody in two weeks.
[02] Serbian Military Shells Malisheva Villages
PRISHTINA, Aug 25 (KIC) - Around 14:00 hrs today (Tuesday), tens of Serb
military tanks deployed in Malisheva and Banj& opened fire in the direction
of the villages of the municipality of Malisheva, the local LDK Information
Commission said.
It did not mention the villages by name, but added that the population in
the attacked area took to flight in search of safety.
Another source told the KIC the village of Banj& was in fact being shelled
at 14:00 hrs.
Meanwhile, a local LDK activist told the KIC Serb tanks were heading
towards the village of Ngucat. At 13:00 hrs they were visible, only a few
kilometers away.
The population of tens villages of Suhareka and Lipjan had found refugee in
the village of Ngucat in the wake of the Serb attacks against their
respective communities, the activist concluded.
[03] Three Aid Workers Die as Serb Shell Hits Relief Car
PRISHTINA, Aug 25 (KIC) - Three Albanians died, and one was wounded when
their tractor carrying humanitarian relief supplies to people in need was
hit by a Serb shell near Balinca village of Malisheva on Monday afternoon,
local LDK sources said.
They named two victims as Hajriz Morina (26) and Adem Morina, both from
Drenovc village. The name of the third Albanian who died on the spot and
another one who was wounded have not been made knownw yet.
For over two hours on Monday (14.30- 17:00), the villages of Lubizhda,
Drenoci, Carralluk&, Lladroc and T&rpez& came under heavy Serb artillery
fire.
The LDK Information Commission in Malisheva said an elderly man (his
identity still unknown) as well as the children Astrit Pa^arizi (8), Neshat
Pa^arizi (11), Bejtullah Pa^arizi (14) and Ferat Pa^arizi and their uncle
Tafil Pa^arizi (31) were wounded yesterday in the Lubizhda village.
[04] Serb Offensive against Suhareka Villages Escalates
At least 8 Albanians killed, many wounded, during the last 48 hours
PRISHTINA, Aug 25 (KIC) - A huge Serb offensive against the Albanian
community in Suhareka, unleashed last weekend, has continued unabated
overnight and today morning, local sources reported.
The town of Suhareka itself was pounded with artillery fire on repeated
occasions over the past 48 hours.
The local LDK Information Commission said the ongoing Serb attack died out
for a short while late last night, to only resume today at around 8:30 a.m.
The villages of Javor, Luzhnic&, Grej^evc, Bllac&, Reshtan, Pe^an and
Sllapuzhan as well as some of the Suhareka suburbs are being pounded with
machine-gun and artillery fire. The village of Sllapuzhan has already been
leveled, the commission said.
The LDK said it has learned the identities of another three Albanians
killed during the unfolding offensive: Bahri Gollopeni (20), resident of
Suhareka, Mehmet Byty^i (20), from Reshtan village, and Mehmet Lumi (24). A
much higher casualty-toll is feared given the intensity of the Serb
shelling.
Sources in Suhareka reported yesterday of two Albanians killed on Sunday -
Abedin Hysen Shala (65) and Shefqet Jemin Hoxha (40) - and five wounded,
Vebi Abedin Shala (27), Hysnie Jemin Hoxha (f, 61), Sadije Nysret Hoxha (f,
37), G&zim Nysret Hoxha (16), Myftar Nysret Hoxha (9), all of them from
Suhareka.
The population fleeing the village under Serb attack has swelled the
communities in temporarily safer areas. However, there are still many
living rough in the mountains, sources said.
At least 15,000 displaced persons have been holed up in four villages. Many
of them from the neighboring municipality of Shtime have sought shelter in
Ngucat village, fleeing Serb attacks which have likewise been mounted in
the past three days.
Witnesses told the KIC that after having pounded entire communities with
artillery guns, Serbs have been advancing towards villages, burning and
destroying everything. A witness said he saw with his eyes the Serb troops
dousing with petrol and setting ablaze the house of an LDK activist,
Shyqyri Ku^i, in Suhareka.
Meanwhile, LDK sources in Suhareka reported at around noon today about two
other Albanians killed today by Serbs. The brothers Behxhet Gashi (52) and
Ruzhdi Gashi (41) were gunned down by Serb snipres at around 11 a.m. just
outside the town of Suhareka. They were on their way to Reshtan village,
where their family members were reportedly holed up.
An Albanian woman, whose identity has not been established yet, was
reported killed in Suhareka today. The woman was shot dead in her courtyard
by a Serb sniper, local sources said.
Serb troops have set ablaze many Albanian houses in Suhareka suburbs today,
witnesses told the KIC.
[05] Many Arrested in Rugova Region in the Wake of Serb Attack
Displaced Albanians cross to neighboring Montenegro in flight PRISHTINA,
Aug (KIC) - In the wake of yesterday's Serbian attack against the Rugova
region's villages, in which an Albanian schoolteacher, Ram& Nik^i, native
of Shtupeq i Madh, was wounded, many local residents were arrested.
Rexhep Istref Nik^i, resident of Shtupeq i Madh; four sons and daughters of
Rexhep Syl& Nik^i; Haki Husaj and his mother from Haxhaj village; Sevdije
Nik^i and her 2-year-old daughter; Skender Gashi, resident of Qyshk; a
woman from Llaz village, are only some of the Albanians who are known to
have been rounded up by Serb forces, LDK sources in Peja ('Pec') said.
They said Halil Met& Nik^i is feared to have been killed.
Serb police and military, with armored cars and rocket launchers, have been
stationed near the cemetery in Shtupeq i Madh village.
Serb military and police personnel are said to have been occupied village
houses, whereas the combat equipment stationed on the banks of the Bistrica
River near the village of Shtupeq.
In the wake of the shelling yesterday, the population fled their homes.
Meanwhile, VOA Albanian Section reported today the population was crossing
over to the neighboring Montenegro.
The sound of Serb artillery fire yesterday could be heard in the Rozhaj&
high lands in northern Montenegro, VOA quoted sources as saying.
A local emergency aid organization in Rozhaj& spoke of hundreds of new
arrivals from Kosova, adding that there were wounded people amongst them,
who were hospitalized in the Berane hospital.
Hundreds of Rugova families spent the night rough in the mountains,
threatened by attacking Serb forces.
The head of the Emergency Council in Rozhaj&, Ali Daci, said the Council
was doing all it could to accommodate the increasing number of refugees
from Kosova.
[06] 11 Albanians Buried, Only Two Identified, in Gjakova Today
PRISHTINA, Aug 25 (KIC) - Last night, the body of yet another Albanian, 27-
year old Ruzhdi Haxhia, resident of the Raushiq village of Peja ('Pec') was
taken to the town morgue in Gjakova,
LDK sources said.
Ten other bodies had been taken to the morgue a day earlier. Only one of
them, Adem Dervishi (62), native of Batusha village, was identified.
The eleven killed Albanians, nine of them unidentified, were buried today
in the town cemetery in Gjakova at the order of the Serb police.
Meanwhile, LDK sources said during the recent Serb offensive in the
Dushkaj& region, two more Albanians, Zef Gjon Krasniqi (54) and Pjet&r Tal
Krasniqi (70), residents of Meq& village of Gjakova, have been killed, and
their remains buried a few days earlier in the Gjakova town cemetery.
[07] Heavy Detonations Heard Coming from Kosova-Albania Border Area
PRISHTINA, Aug 25 (KIC) - The sound of heavy detonations coming from the
region of Has, in the border area with Albania, was heard in the town of
Gjakova since noon today, LDK sources said.
Further details surrounding the explosions have not been made available to
the KIC.
[08] Serbs Burn to the Ground Tens of Houses of Albanians in Lipjan
PRISHTINA, Aug 25 (KIC) - Over a dozen Albanian villages southwest of the
Prishtina Airport, in the municipality of Lipjan, have found themselves
under a brutal Serb onslaught for three days now.
A large number of houses and farmsteads in the villages of Krojmir, Shal&,
Bainc&, Miren&, Qylag&, V&rshec, Leletiq, Ribar i Madh and the mining town
of Magur& have been leveled to the ground, witnesses told the KIC.
Sources in the area said today that the Serb attack launched on Sunday
morning shows no sign of letting up.
Over 60 Serb army tanks were seen heading today morning from Magura towards
the villages of Shal& and Krojmir. Serb troops advanced in these two
villages on Monday evening torching everything in front of them, the LDK
chapter in Lipjan said.
A least 13 houses of Albanians were burned to the ground in the Magure
village yesterday afternoon. Many others were looted and destroyed.
Serbs have set ablaze two large grain mills in the Poturovc village,
estimated to be worth over 2 million DM. The proprietor of the mills is
known to have greatly helped the people in need in the area, the LDK
chapter said, adding that Serb civilians have been involved in these
barbarous arson tactics.
There were at least 300.000 kg of grain and flour in the storehouses of the
mill before it was set afire by Serbs, local sources said.
Kosova Information Center
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