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Kosova Daily Report #1659, 99-01-10
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1659
Prishtina, 10 January 1999
CONTENTS
[01] Heavy Buildup of Serb Armor along Prishtina-Podujeva Roadway
[02] Consequences of Serbian Offensive in Podujeva Area by and Large
Unknown
[03] Eight Albanian Families Remained Holed up in Peran
[04] LDK Chapter Denounces Serb Attack in Podujeva Area, Criticizes OSCE
KVM's Statement
[05] Three Albanians Killed in De^an Village Saturday
[06] One Albanian Killed, Another Wounded in Bibaj Village of Ferizaj
Saturday Evening
[07] Hand Grenade Hurled on Albanian Cafe in Prishtina at Midnight
[01] Heavy Buildup of Serb Armor along Prishtina-Podujeva Roadway
Four tank shells fired against Llapashtic& village today (Sunday)
PRISHTINA, Jan 10 (KIC) - Huge Serbian military and police forces backed up
by heavy armor have been concentrated today (Sunday) in the Llapi river
valley in north Kosova, along the Prishtina - Podujeva highway and Podujeva
- K&rpimeh roadway, in the area from Vranidoll village to Peran, some 25 km
in length.
Heavy Serbian military and police troops backed up by tank and mortar fire
attacked yesterday the villages of Bradash, Katunisht& ('Velika Reka'),
Peran, Obran^&, Llapashtic& and Gllamnik, municipality of Podujeva. Most of
the Albanian residents fled their homes to relatively safer areas in the
municipality.
In the compounds of the Serb ('Yugoslav') army at Vranidoll (a dozen km
north of the capital Prishtina) and outside it some twenty Serb army tanks
are stationed. Two km northwards, at Kulin&, in the compounds of the
"Castori" restaurant by the roadside, are some 8 to 10 tanks, with the
barrels aimed at the villages of Lup^ and Majac, nestled on the mountains
on the right side of the Llapi river. Three km further north, in the Serb
police station in Lluzhan, are a dozen Serb military tanks with their
barrels aimed at Godishnjak& and Sollobaj& villages. Ten km further north,
a couple of km south of the town of Podujeva, at the 'Qershit& e
Llapashtic&s', a Serb police armored vehicle has been posted, whereas at
'Tabet e Llapashtic&s' many Serb tanks have been reported stationed. Some 7
km away from Llapashtic&, at Peran village, on the Podujeva-K&rpimeh road,
three Serb tanks have been deployed.
This heavy Serb military and police buildup and armor indicates the Serb
forces are at the ready to resume yesterday's attack.
At 10:00 o'clock in the morning today, Serb fired four tank shells against
the village of Llapashtic& village, west of Podujeva. The fire died down
later, local sources said.
The OSCE KVM personnel in Podujeva have been out on the ground in the area
today.
Meanwhile, sources from Mitrovica spoke of heavy Serb military
reinforcement in Stant&rg and Kutllovc, in the area where the U^K took
prisoner eight 'Yugoslav' soldiers on Friday.
The KVM has been in permanent contact with the U^K leadership in efforts to
secure the release of the Serb soldiers.
[02] Consequences of Serbian Offensive in Podujeva Area by and Large
Unknown
At least one wounded in yesterday's attack, more are feared
PRISHTINA, Jan 10 (KIC) - Local LDK activists in Podujeva have not yet been
able to obtain a full picture on yesterday's Serb attack's consequences in
the area.
Heavy Serbian military and police troops backed up by tank and mortar fire
attacked yesterday the villages of Bradash, Katunisht& ('Velika Reka'),
Peran, Obran^&, Llapashtic& and Gllamnik, municipality of Podujeva. Most of
the Albanian residents fled their homes to relatively safer areas in the
municipality.
Sources said Besim Ademi (15), resident of Bradash village, was wounded
yesterday in the fields adjacent to the Llapi river while fleeing his
village.
The man who saw Besim wounded has no further knowledge about his fate. The
young Albanian boy's family has launched a search operation of its own
today, the LDK chapter in Podujeva said.
In the town of Podujeva, Serb police forces stationed in the Besiana motel
machine-gunned yesterday five Albanian houses in the vicinity, LDK sources
said, naming them.
Sources said the Potera family compound in Llapashtic& village suffered
most damages in yesterday's Serb attack. It has been impossible to obtain
first-hand information about it, as the area is sealed off.
LDK leaders in Podujeva expressed their concern about the fate of a number
Albanian families holed up in Peran village. (See related story...)
[03] Eight Albanian Families Remained Holed up in Peran
PRISHTINA, Jan 10 (KIC) - Eight Albanian families remain holed up in their
homes at Peran village since yesterday (Saturday), when Serb forces
launched an attack against this and a number of other villages in the
municipality of Peran.
The LDK chapter in Podujeva said the families of Xhafer Emini (mother and
16-year-old daughter), Ajet Emini (7 members), Ismet Beqiri (22 members),
Nazmi Ismajli (4 members), Nazmi's uncle's family, the family of Rifat
Beqiri (4 members), Rasim Beqiri's (10 members) as well as the family of
Behram Hoxha (3 members), have remained behind, as they could not get out
in the midst of the Serb attack. Their fate remains unknown.
Serb forces have been stationed in the area, some of them in the house of
Ilmi Hoxha, others in the family house courtyard of Ruzhdi Kastrati, as
well as in the compounds of the former village cooperative.
Serbian forces have been stationed also near the houses of Serbs living in
Peran village.
Amidst this Serb forces' presence, the Podujeva-K&rpimeh roadway remains
blocked, LDK sources said.
Meanwhile, the Serb regime Media Center said two Serb policemen were
lightly wounded yesterday in clashes with Albanian 'terrorists' in Peran.
[04] LDK Chapter Denounces Serb Attack in Podujeva Area, Criticizes OSCE
KVM's Statement
"The Serbian attacks had nothing to do with the detention or efforts to
secure the release of the Yugoslav soldiers taken prisoner in another part
of Kosova", namely in the Mitrovica area, the LDK chapter in Podujeva says
PRISHTINA, Jan 10 (KIC) - The presidency of the LDK chapter in Podujeva
denounced today yesterday's Serbian attack against the Llapi region's
villages and the U^K in the area.
The Serbian military attack, in which tanks and other heavy weaponry were
used, as well as Serbian regime threats "were not provoked in any way by
the local population or the U^K", the Podujeva LDK chapter said.
Yesterday's Serb attacks were concentrated against a considerable number of
villages, forcing the Albanian population to flee Dobratin, Baj^in&,
Bradash, Peran, Obran^&, Katunisht&, Llapashtic& e Ep&rme, Llapashtic& e
Poshtme, some neighborhoods of the town of Podujeva, as well as the
villages of Gllamnik, Konushec, Buric&, Sibofc, and Lluzhan, the LDK
chapter said.
It is not the first time that these villages are confronted with the Serb
state terror, and forced from their homes, it added.
The LDK chapter in Podujeva dismisses as "unacceptable" the assessment of
the OSCE KVM contained in its press release of yesterday (9 January)
regarding the responsibility for the increase in tensions in Kosova. At
least, as far as Podujeva is concerned, it was not acts/actions by the U^K,
but rather the actions of the Serbian forces that were the main reason for
the increase of tensions, the LDK added.
"The Serbian attacks had nothing to do with the detention or efforts to
secure the release of the Yugoslav soldiers taken prisoner in another part
of Kosova", namely in the Mitrovica area, the LDK chapter in Podujeva
said.
No sooner had the OSCE KVM released its statement praising the "restraint"
of the Yugoslav authorities to the U^K "provocations" than the 'Yugoslav'
army and Serb paramilitary police started pounding the Podujeva villages
early afternoon yesterday (Saturday).
[05] Three Albanians Killed in De^an Village Saturday
PRISHTINA, Jan 10 (KIC) - The Serb regime Media Center in Prishtina said
three Albanians were killed by Serb police forces near Dashinovc village of
the municipality of De^an, in western Kosova, Saturday afternoon.
The three, wearing U^K uniforms, had attacked a police patrol, the Serb
center said, adding that the police returned fire and killed them.
[06] One Albanian Killed, Another Wounded in Bibaj Village of Ferizaj
Saturday Evening
PRISHTINA, Jan 10 (KIC) - One Albanian was shot dead, a second wounded on
Saturday evening, around 21:15 hrs, at Bibaj village of Ferizaj
('Urosevac') municipality, local LDK sources said.
Unknown assailants opened automatic fire from a 'Zastava 101' car on Faruk
Murseli and Sedat Selimi, both around 20 years of age, residents of T&rpez&
village of Viti, and a third young Albanian from Pozhoran village who was
with them.
Faruk died, whereas Sedat was wounded in this criminal attack.
Sedat Selimi was taken to the Prishtina hospital, after having been given
the first aid and questioned by the Serb police, local sources said.
[07] Hand Grenade Hurled on Albanian Cafe in Prishtina at Midnight
PRISHTINA, Jan 10 (KIC) - Just after midnight last night, a hand grenade
was hurled in the house of the Tha^i family, in which 'Te Cima' cafe is
located, in the "Qyteza Pejton" neighborhood in downtown Prishtina. A heavy
blast was caused by the grenade. There was material damage, but no
injuries.
When the grenade was tossed the 'Te Cima' cafe was full of guests.
It appears that the cafe itself was targeted, but the grenade did not hit
its front part, the entrance and its windows.
The Serb police authorities showed up on the scene half an hour later, a
member of the Tha^i family said. Based on the evidence they found, they
said it was a hand grenade.
An eye-witness said he saw a man running away alongside the road past the
nearby kindergarten in the direction of Radio Prishtina.
Kosova Information Center
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