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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, February 1, 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(Editor's Note: With the progressive changeover of responsibility from KDOM to OSCE/KVM, the KDOM Daily Report has been replaced by this Update, which is published as material becomes available.)Compiled by EUR/SCE (202-647-5624) from daily reports of the U.S. element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 sourcesFebruary 1, 1999
The weekend and today saw an increase in fighting in several areas of Kosovo, as well as a rash of grenade attacks in Pristina which have left more than a dozen casualties. On Friday evening, three grenades were thrown into a Serb bar/restaurant in Pristina, seriously injuring seven. Just before 11:00 PM the same evening, another grenade attack took place at Pristina's Cafe "Kod Namika," a place frequented by ethnic Albanian politicians. Although there were 10 people in the bar and it was heavily damaged, no injuries were reported.
On Sunday, a grenade attack on an Albanian fast-food stand killed one ethnic Albanian man and injured two others. This morning, yet another grenade attack took place in a residential area of Pristina. Preliminary reports are that six ethnic Albanians died in this latest atrocity.
The Serb police have issued a report on the incident Friday in Rogovo. It contends that the 24 killed in the action were all ethnic Albanian KLA soldiers preparing to cross into Albania to bring back weapons (a contention confirmed by the KLA). When they were discovered by MUP forces they were shot as "terrorists."
Fighting escalated around Podujevo over the weekend and was also reported underway in the Racak area. Details are scarce on the fighting in these areas. KDOM and KVM are attempting to investigate both today.
There are also reports today of a considerable build-up of MUP forces along the Stimlje to Suva Reka road. KVM is attempting to investigate this development.
KDOM visited three sites in Breznica (300 homes located southwest of Podujevo) over the weekend and met with some of the hundreds of former residents of Ljupc, Majance, and other villages who fled after VJ tanks began shelling their area. Leaders of this group of IDPs reported that the shelling began last Wednesday at about 8:00 AM. They say they counted 42 tanks participating in the attack. The leaders estimate that 3,000-4,000 villagers have been displaced by the attacks, many of whom are existing on Salabaja Mountain near Ljupc. These IDPs are in desperate need of food and supplies, according to their leaders, and will not return home due to the presence of a Serbian army/police base established in Majance. Villagers in Breznica are trying to support their displaced neighbors, but their resources are dwindling rapidly.
An angry KLA representative in Breznica reported to KDOM that an orange vehicle, thought by inexperienced KLA pickets to be a KDOM car, passed through a checkpoint. As it went through, a grenade was lobbed into a KLA building (no casualties reported). In another incident, a KLA soldier reported that an "orange bulldozer" (thought to be OSCE equipment) passed a checkpoint where another grenade was lobbed out. These reports are being investigated by KDOM.
Both KDOM and KVM have noted an increase in the harassment of international representatives by Serbian police and civilians in the past few days. This may be an attempt to intimidate verification and observer mission members. Cold and snowy conditions continue to prevail throughout Kosovo.
[End of Document]
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