Kosova Daily Report #1667, 99-01-18
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1667
Prishtina, 18 January 1999
First Edition: 12:00 CET
Second Edition: 17:00 CET
CONTENTS
[01] Serbian Forces Renew Shelling of Re^ak Village, Site of Massacre of
Albanians
[02] Serbian Forces Take away Bodies of Massacred Albanians in Re^ak
[03] LATEST REPORT: Serbian Forces Continue Shelling Shtime Area Late
Afternoon Today
[04] Serbian Forces Shell Re^ak and Outlying Area For a Second Day in a
Row
[05] Shooting Incident in Mitrovica, Five Serb Policemen Reported Wounded
[06] 200 Serb Soldiers Raid Albanian Family Compounds in Planej& Village of
Prizren
[07] Serb Army and Police Loots Albanian Households in Tenezhdoll Village
of Prishtina
[01] Serbian Forces Renew Shelling of Re^ak Village, Site of Massacre of
Albanians
Fighting reported in the Gryka e Carralev&s (Carraleva gorge), too
PRISHTINA, Jan 18 (KIC) - Heavy Serbian forces shelled today (Monday) the
village of Re^ak, municipality of Shtime, and the outlying area, 26 km
south of Prishtina, for a second day in a row.
The LDK chapter in Shtime told the KIC at 10:30 a.m. the Serbian forces
were shelling the Re^ak area from four positions. Three convoys of Serbian
paramilitary police headed to Shtime today, and the small town is full of
Serb police and armed Serb policemen, the leader of the LDK chapter said.
Meanwhile, just before noon, the KIC learned the Serbian shelling of Re^ak,
and possibly outlying villages, was still continuing.
The entrance to Shtime from the road linking capital Prishtina and this
small town was blocked, LDK sources said. The Shtime-Ferizaj and Shtime-
Prizren roads had been blocked earlier in the day, sources said.
Clashes were reported going on between Serbian forces and local Albanian
resistance forces in the Gryka e Carralev&s (Carraleva gorge) on the
Prishtina-Prizren highway, south of Shtime.
The village of Re^ak is the site of the massacre of 51 Albanians by the
Serbian military and paramilitary police forces on Friday.
Most of the Albanians were executed, being shot at close range on the head
or neck; others had their eyes gouged and faces blown away: one was
decapitated. Three women, a 12-year-old boy, a three- month infant, are
amongst the slain Albanians, most of whom men, rounded up by Serbian
infantry troops before being herded up the village and killed in cold
blood.
The bodies of the killed Albanians are still unburied, laid in a village
mosque.
A lorryload of coffins for the Re^ak victims was in capital Prishtina, and
could not leave for the area by noon today.
The Serbian military and police troops moved into the village yesterday
(Sunday), in what was termed by an Albanian politician 'a battle for
corpses', namely a sinister Serbian scheme to tamper with the bodies, to
undo the evidence of the carnage of Albanian civilians - which the criminal
Serb regime calls 'terrorists' - and obstruct the UN Yugoslav Tribunal's
investigation.
Chief Prosecutor Louis Arbour is said to be on her way to Kosova today.
Nobody believes she and her team of investigators will be allowed into
Kosova, as they have not been issued FRY visas.
The meeting of the North-Atlantic Council at ambassadorial level in
Brussels Sunday evening produced nothing like a credible threat to Slobodan
Milosevic. Everybody doubts NATO's resolve now. It has been long ago when
Milosevic ceased heeding 'strongly-worded statements', one of which was
produced yesterday.
[02] Serbian Forces Take away Bodies of Massacred Albanians in Re^ak
The Kosova Information Center (KIC) has learned this afternoon Serbian
forces wearing all kinds of uniforms - plain clothes, regular and special
police, as well as army fatigues - were involved in the operation to remove
the bodies after a two-day long operation to do this, apparently in a bid
to tamper with the evidence, or even destroy it in the face of universal
shock and condemnation of the Serb atrocity
PRISHTINA, Jan 18 (KIC) - Serbian forces collected today (Monday) afternoon
the bodies of Albanians massacred in Re^ak village on Friday.
Around 50 Albanian civilians were massacred by Serbian military and
paramilitary police forces that day, and their bodies had been laid in the
local mosque in Re^ak. Most of the Albanians were executed, being shot at
close range on the head or neck; others had their eyes gouged and faces
blown away: one was decapitated. Three women, a 12-year-old boy, a three-
month infant, are amongst the slain Albanians, most of whom men, rounded up
by Serbian infantry troops before being herded up the village and killed in
cold blood.
The Kosova Information Center (KIC) has learned this afternoon Serbian
forces wearing all kinds of uniforms - plain clothes, regular and special
police, as well as army fatigues - were involved in the operation to remove
the bodies after a two-day long operation to do this, apparently in a bid
to tamper with the evidence, or even destroy it.
The bodies of Albanians were dumped in a lorry, according to sources which
spoke on condition of anonymity, between 14:30 and 15:00 hrs today. They
would presumably be taken to capital Prishtina.
The Prishtina hospital has been sealed off by heavy police forces today
afternoon, probably in preparation for the arrival of the bodies of
massacred Albanians.
Serbian military and police forces, backed up by heavy weaponry, shelled
the village of Re^ak and the outlying area for two days now in what was
termed by some as the 'battle for corpses'.
The international community called this a horrendous massacre of Albanian
civilians, while the Serbian regime claims they were 'terrorists'.
The Chief Prosecutor of the UN Yugoslav Tribunal, Louise Arbour, was
prevented today by Yugoslav authorities from entering into Kosova. She flew
to Shkup/FYROM and proceeded to the border, but was turned back, as
expected.
[03] LATEST REPORT: Serbian Forces Continue Shelling Shtime Area Late
Afternoon Today
PRISHTINA, Jan 18 (KIC) - Serbian forces backed up by heavy weaponry were
shelling Re^ak and the outlying area around 17:00 CET today (Monday),
according to local sources.
A source from the small town of Shtime said the sound of shelling could be
heard in the small town at the time, a member of the LDK Presidency told
the KIC.
Serbian troops removed today afternoon the bodies of scores of Albanians
massacred by Serbian forces themselves in Re^ak last Friday.
[04] Serbian Forces Shell Re^ak and Outlying Area For a Second Day in a
Row
Louise Arbour turned back, everybody doubts NATO's resolve
PRISHTINA, Jan 18 (KIC) - Heavy Serbian forces shelled today (Monday) the
village of Re^ak, municipality of Shtime, and the outlying area, 26 km
south of Prishtina, for a second day in a row.
The LDK chapter in Shtime told the KIC at 10:30 a.m. the Serbian forces
were shelling the Re^ak area from four positions.
Meanwhile, just before noon, the KIC learned the Serbian shelling of Re^ak,
and possibly outlying villages, was still continuing.
The entrance to Shtime from the road linking capital Prishtina and this
small town was blocked, LDK sources said. The Shtime-Ferizaj and Shtime-
Prizren roads had been blocked earlier in the day, sources said.
Meanwhile, sources from Ferizaj ('Urosevac') said Serb forces were deployed
late in the morning in the Koshare village and fired in the direction of
neighboring Shtime village.
Around 13:00 hrs, the shelling reportedly died down, but all Serb forces
involved in the attack against Re^ak village were still in offensive
positions.
Clashes were reported going on between Serbian forces and local Albanian
resistance forces in the Gryka e Carralev&s (Carraleva gorge) on the
Prishtina-Prizren highway, south of Shtime, just before noon today.
The village of Re^ak is the site of the massacre of 51 Albanians by the
Serbian military and paramilitary police forces on Friday.
Most of the Albanians were executed, being shot at close range on the head
or neck; others had their eyes gouged and faces blown away: one was
decapitated. Three women, a 12-year-old boy, a three- month infant, are
amongst the slain Albanians, most of whom men, rounded up by Serbian
infantry troops before being herded up the village and killed in cold
blood.
The Serbian military and police troops moved into the Re^ak area yesterday
and today, in what is presumably sinister Serbian scheme to tamper with the
bodies, or destroy the evidence of the carnage of Albanian civilians.
Arbour turned back, everybody doubts NATO's resolve Chief Prosecutor of the
UN Yugoslav Tribunal, Louise Arbour, was prevented today by Yugoslav
authorities from entering into Kosova.
She flew to Shkup/FYROM and proceeded to the border, but was turned back,
as expected.
It was the investigation of the massacre in Re^ak that NATO based its
latest policy on. Indeed, the meeting of the North-Atlantic Council at
ambassadorial level in Brussels Sunday evening produced nothing like a
credible threat to Slobodan Milosevic.
Everybody doubts NATO's resolve now. At least the Kosovars do. They know a
second Bosnia is occurring in Kosova, at a time the West vows it will
prevent a repeat of Bosnia, and is bombarding Belgrade with more press
releases. It has been long ago when Milosevic ceased heeding 'strongly-
worded statements', the latest produced only yesterday.
[05] Shooting Incident in Mitrovica, Five Serb Policemen Reported Wounded
Albanians fleeing their homes in fear of Serb reprisals
PRISHTINA, Jan 18 (KIC) - A Serb police vehicle was shot at and at least
five policemen wounded around 10 a.m. today in the "Ura e Gjakut"
neihgbourhood in Mitrovica, local LDK sources said.
Heavy Serb police forces gathered in the scene, and blocked the road to
Shipol village in the outskirts of Mitrovica.
The Mitrovica hospital was sealed off by police, and a number of Albanian
households raided, the LDK chapter said.
A number of Albanians were reported beaten up.
The Ura e Gjakut and Shipol population started fleeing their homes today,
in fear of Serb reprisals for the unsolved incident.
A column of Serbian police forces involving 9 buses, 2 APCs, 3 jeeps, and 3
other vehicles full of personnel arrived at 9 o'clock in the morning in
Mitrovica from Raska, Serbia.
Some police troops left Mitrovica for Skenderaj at noon today, local
Albanian sources said.
Meanwhile, Serb army tanks were reported moving in the Podujeva area today.
Eleven Serb army tanks and an APC left the sports airfield at Dumosh, a few
km southeast of the town of Podujeva, and moved towards the Shajkovc
village before returning.
Huge Serbian army troops and tanks have been massed in the Podujeva area
for weeks now, and been on combat position in clear violation of the much
talked about internationally-brokered cease-fire which exists in paper
only.
[06] 200 Serb Soldiers Raid Albanian Family Compounds in Planej& Village of
Prizren
PRISHTINA, Jan 18 (KIC) - Heavy Serb army and police forces raided two
Albanian family compounds ( Shigjeqi and Shehu) in the village of Planej&,
municipality of Prizren, from 10:00 through 12:00 on Sunday, LDK sources in
Prizren said.
The Serbian police herded the women, children and elderly members of the
two family compounds to the fields called 'Livadhi i Sokolit', where they
were held for two hours.
The Serb forces looted the households and smashed up furniture, local
sources said.
Serbian forces engaged in firing for three hours Sunday evening in the
Kosova-Albanian border area.
[07] Serb Army and Police Loots Albanian Households in Tenezhdoll Village
of Prishtina
PRISHTINA, Jan 18 (KIC) - Serbian army and police forces were engaged in a
looting campaign in the Tenezhdoll village, along the Prishtina-Podujeva,
today (Monday) the KIC has learned. Five lorries were waiting for dark to
set in, before actually taking away the looted appliances from Albanian
households.
Kosova Information Center
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