KOSOVO: SERB FORCES ADVANCE ON ETHNIC ALBANIAN REBELS UPDATE

(27 Jul 1998) German/Nat

Fighting has escalated in the Serb province of Kosovo as Serb forces try to regain control of key roads controlled by rebel ethnic Albanian militants.

Heavily-armed Serb police launched their offensive backed by armoured vehicles and tanks.

The focus of their attack was a strategic area linking the provincial capital, Pristina with major towns to the west and south.

Serb Police forces battling Kosovo Liberation Army (K-L-A) militants are succeeding in clearing major provincial roads, pushing the K-L-A back towards Pristina.

An APTV cameraman joined Serb police forces to film the ongoing assault near the crossroad of two villages - Iglarevo and Dolac.

Backed by covering fire of heavy weapons mounted on armoured personnel carriers, Serbian police proceeded to push forward from one field to the next.

K-L-A fighters were seen returning fire, but could not match the sheer force of Serbian military hardware.

As the villages were overrun deserted trenches dug by the K-L-A could be seen amongst the burning houses.

Residents have fled the fighting.

The local villages are now nothing but ghost towns, with houses destroyed and surrounding fields scorched by fire.

Other parts of central Kosovo came in for sustained bombardment by Serb artillery.

Shelling in the villages of Blace and Dulje forced many families to abandon their homes.
Villagers crouched in surrounding woods as they watched Serb shells slam into their houses.

SOUNDBITE: (German)
" The West must intervene to stop the fighting"
SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop, villager sheltering from bombardment

Both sides said they suffered casualties in the fighting, which has been raging since Friday night along at least three fronts.

Ethnic Albanian sources claimed that eight Albanian civilians have been killed and about 40 wounded in two days of fighting across the province.

SOUNDBITE: (Albanian)
" We ran from the house because they started shelling at four in the morning. The Serb army is shooting at my village. I ran away with my children and they burned my house."
SUPER CAPTION: refugee from Blace

This is the most widespread and coordinated offensive launched by the Serbs since April.

It appears to be aimed at clearing the K-L-A from three strategic highways - one westward from Pristina to Pec, another south to the town of Prizren and a third along the Albanian border in western Kosovo.

It's believed the rebels control one third of the province but this area could be split in two if the latest Serbian operation is successful.

Losing control of this area would prevent K-L-A fighters from being able to reach their sanctuaries in neighbouring Albania, cutting them off from weapons supplies.

Albanian leaders believe the offensive is an attempt by the government to bolster its position before more talks on the future of Kosovo province.

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