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KDOM Update Released by the Bureau of European and Canadian Affairs, Office of South Central European Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, January 27, 1999

(Editor's Note: With the progressive changeover of responsibility from KDOM to OSCE/KVM, the KDOM Daily Report has been replaced by this Update, which is published as material becomes available.)

Compiled by EUR/SCE (202-647-5624) from daily reports of the U.S. element
of the Kosovo Diplomatic Observers Mission and other sources

January 27, 1999

Kosovo remained generally quiet yesterday, with Serbian VJ and police continuing to resupply and strengthen their positions in several areas. The Pristina-to-Podujevo road was one area of noticeable increase in troops and equipment. During the day on the 26th, KDOM noted sporadic exchanges of small arms fire near the village of Luzane. Much heavier fighting reportedly broke out in that area this morning. As yet we have no details of this fighting.

A heavy concentration of VJ and police remains around Racak, but there is no new fighting reported in that area. Tensions remain high throughout the Podujevo, Stimlje, and Decane regions. Far western Kosovo (Pec, Djakovica, Klina, Komorane, etc) -- visited yesterday by a KDOM patrol -- is reportedly quiet, with people going about the job of rebuilding, attending school, and conducting business.

At around 11:30 last night, four KDOM contract personnel were assaulted in downtown Pristina by six Serbians. The KDOM personnel were eating in a restaurant when they were lured outside by a Serbian man. In the parking lot the four were set upon by six Serbs (three men and three women), one of whom had a sidearm and another a baseball bat. In the ensuing melee, the KDOM personnel managed to disarm the attackers and make it to their vehicle with only minor injuries to two of their number. Neither required hospitalization.

Yesterday, a KDOM patrol in the Podujevo area came upon a group of young ethnic Albanian men being harrassed by police. According to bystanders, the 7 or 8 youths were being mistreated by a dozen armed Serb policemen, one of whom was wearing a ski mask. With the arrival of the KDOM patrol the police departed, having roughed up one of the Albanians. The Finnish forensic team performing autopsies on the bodies of those killed in the January 15 massacre at Racak reported today that, due to the time lapse and movement of the bodies between the incident and the team's access to them, they may never be able to determine whether the people died "in combat" or were executed.

The five Albanians (including two children) killed in an ambush on January 25 near Rakovina (between Klina and Djakovica) appear now to be of one family traveling by tractor and wagon, according the KVM which is investigating the tragic incident. While there are KLA forces in the area of the attack, Serb forces also patrol the road. Who is responsible for the killings is not clear. The bodies have been moved to Pristina for autopsies.

In another incident, an ethnic Albanian father and son were ambushed by unknown assailants late on January 25 near Gornja Luka in western Kosovo. The father died and the son was evacuated to Pec with multiple gunshot wounds.

[End of Document]

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