Kosova Daily Report #1608, 98-11-10

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1608
Prishtina, 10 November 1998

CONTENTS

[01] President Rugova Receives Ambassador David J. Scheffer

[02] 13 Busloads of Fresh Serb Police Arrive in Kosova

[03] Serb Army Tank Hits Horse-Drawn Cart Deliberately, 4 Albanians Badly Injured

[04] Serb Military Shoots and Wounds Albanian in Prizren Area

[05] Malisheva Villages Come Under Continued Serb Fire

[06] Serb Police Open Fire on Albanian Villages from Base near Suhareka

[07] Mutilated Bodies of Albanians Found in Skenderaj and Istog

[08] 1,500 Villagers Holed Up in Schoolhouse at Lugishta of Prizren

[09] Serb Police Puts "Mines" Sign in Schoolhouse in Magura

[10] Families Identify Their Beloved Buried by Serbs with "Unidentified" Sign

[11] Self-styled Serbian Local Police Members Illtreat Albanian, Take Him to Prison

[01] President Rugova Receives Ambassador David J. Scheffer

Scheffer, Secretary Albright's special envoy, Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues. Attending the meeting were also Chief of U.S. Mission in Belgrade, Richard Miles, and the Director of the American Office in Prishtina, Richard Huckaby.

In the meeting, the most recent situation in Kosova as well as the grave circumstances in the areas affected by the Serbian military offensives this year, were discussed.

Ambassador Scheffer said he had toured some of the affected areas and he had seen huge and systematic destruction. The investigation of crimes is of great importance he said, adding that the Hague Tribunal should be allowed to duly investigate all crimes that might have been committed in Kosova.

The tragic dimensions of the Serb offensives are unravelling on a daily basis, President Rugova said. He called for stepped up pressure on Belgrade to ensure that the crimes committed in Kosova be investigated by the Hague Tribunal's investigators.

Dr. Ibrahim Rugova thanked the U.S. Administration, Secretary Albright as well as Ambassador Scheffer for this mission and their unfailing interest in the plight of the people of Kosova.

[02] 13 Busloads of Fresh Serb Police Arrive in Kosova

At 7.15 a.m. today, 13 busloads of Serb police passed along Podujeva in the direction of Prishtina, local sources in the town near the Kosova-Serbian border said.

The Serbian police spokesman was quoted as saying if foreign monitors do not make roads secure for traffic in Kosova, Serb police would do that.

Meanwhile, local sources in Gjakova said four busloads of Serb police arrived in the town today morning. They were camped in the Serb military barracks in Gjakova.

A convoy of Serb police consisting of some 30 vehicles - lorries. buses and armored vehicles - passed through Suhareka at 10:00 am. today and headed to Prizren, the LDK chapter in Suhareka said. The convoy provoked Albanian passers-by in Suhareka.

Serb police has been routinely ill-treating Albanian citizens leaving or entering the town of Vushtrri ('Vucitrn'), local sources said. Tens of Albanians have been harassed an illtreated in rolling police checkpoints.

[03] Serb Army Tank Hits Horse-Drawn Cart Deliberately, 4 Albanians Badly Injured

The old man of the family had two legs and an arm fractured; a man in his mid-forties suffered serious leg injuries, and his foot will have to be amputated; a woman around 30 years of age received life- threatening head injuries; and a six-year-old girl received head injuries, the CDHRF reported.

All the injured Albanians were taken to the intensive care unit of the Gjakova hospital.

Muhamet Abdullahu, a member of the family who was not injured, said the family was travelling to Gjakova. "We saw the tank approach us, we tried to make an escape by leaving the road, but the tank's driver hit us deliberately", Muhamet was quoted as saying.

[04] Serb Military Shoots and Wounds Albanian in Prizren Area

Xhafer was taken to the Prizren hospital.

The Albanian had been together with five relatives, Nazim Kabashi and G&zim Kabashi, whose fate is unknown, and Ismet Kabashi, Rrustem Kabashi and Nexhat Kabashi.

[05] Malisheva Villages Come Under Continued Serb Fire

Serb forces posted at Llazica, Smonica and Carralluka pounded with mortar and machine-gun fire Albanian farmsteads in Bubavec, Llazica, T&rpeza and Carralluka, the head of the LDK information Commission in Malisheva told the KIC.

These four villages, as well as a suburb in Malisheva, were attacked on repeated occasions on Sunday night when at least three Albanians were wounded.

The LDK activist could not say whether there were any casualties in last night's attacks.

[06] Serb Police Open Fire on Albanian Villages from Base near Suhareka

The LDK chapter in Suhareka said dozens of Albanians have been subjected to brutalities at the Reshtan checkpoint lately.

[07] Mutilated Bodies of Albanians Found in Skenderaj and Istog

Local villagers of ^ubrel told the Prishtina-based Bujku newspaper that the victim was a neighbor of theirs, Nuhi Pajaziti (75). His body was found only a few yards far from his house.

The late Pajaziti had refused to flee the village when it was attacked by the Serb forces about three months ago.

Sources in Skenderaj could not confirm if Nuhi Pajaziti was killed by Serbs or died in the village were he was holed up for a long time.

Bujku said that Albanian shepherds found on Monday the dead body of a woman in the fields near Shushica e Poshtme of Istog, whom they identified later as Fatime Salihaj, resident of the neighboring Rakosh village.

The late Salihaj had gone missing since 30 August, when her eight- member family was slain by Serbs forces, the newspaper said.

[08] 1,500 Villagers Holed Up in Schoolhouse at Lugishta of Prizren

Several villagers, including the local muezzin, Sali Mu^aj, have been rounded up and taken to the police station.

By mid-afternoon, the KIC could not learn whether the residents of Lugishta were still being holed up in the school building.

[09] Serb Police Puts "Mines" Sign in Schoolhouse in Magura

Witnesses told the KIC the Serb police patrols have been harassing and intimidating the local Albanian population both in the town of Lipjan and in the surrounding area.

Not a single Albanian has returned to the villages of V&rshec and Leletiq, fearful of harassment by Serb police manning checkpoints near the two villages.

Only a small number of displaced Albanians have returned to the mining town of Magura, the LDK chapter in Lipjan said. The local school has not opened still. During the summer months the school house was turned into a make- shift military base housing Serb soldiers, policemen and members of paramilitary units.

Local residents said that no one has dared enter the classrooms in the upper floor of the school. Before leaving the schoolhouse, the Serbs put "Mine" signs on classroom doors.

[10] Families Identify Their Beloved Buried by Serbs with "Unidentified" Sign

Niman Bajraktari (51), Haki Ahmetxhekaj (23) and Bashkim Mehmetaj (22) were seen last on 6 July near Gorazhdec. Witnesses told human right groups then that they were slain by Serbs during an offensive in the area. Two days later they were buried by the Serb police as unidentified persons.

The LDK chapter in Peja said that there were parts of the bodies, including limbs, missing on the bodies of the three Albanians.

[11] Self-styled Serbian Local Police Members Illtreat Albanian, Take Him to Prison

The two Albanian collaborators beat Mr. Bajrami unconscious after a 24 hour- long illtreatment before taking him to the Peja jail, the LDK chapter in Gjakova said.

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