YUGOSLAVIA/ALBANIA: SERB FORCES CLOSE IN ON KLA POSITIONS IN AND AROUND KOSOVAN TOWN OF JUNIK

Record ID: 566031

  • Title: YUGOSLAVIA/ALBANIA: SERB FORCES CLOSE IN ON KLA POSITIONS IN AND AROUND KOSOVAN TOWN OF JUNIK
  • Date: 5th August 1998
  • Summary: JACOVICA AND JUNIK, KOSOVO (AUGUST 7, 1998) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. TRAVELLING SHOT INTERIOR YUGOSLAV ARMY ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIER (APC) 0.06 2. CU WINDOW IN THE APC WITH BULLET HOLE 0.11 3. WIDE OF RAMOC BURNING IN THE DISTANCE (3 SHOTS) 0.27 4. TRAVELLING SHOT DRIVE THROUGH RAMOC VILLAGE 0.33 5. SLV FORMER KLA TRENCHES IN THE VILLAGE 0.39 6. GV THICK BLACK SMOKE RISING IN THE DISTANCE 0.47 7. LV HORSE RUNNING AROUND LOOKING SCARED 0.52 8. PAN DOWN FORMER KLA BUNKER 0.58 9. WS EMPTY KLA TRENCHES 1.05 10. LV CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE VILLAGE, LEFT UNTOUCHED 1.12 11. SLV YUGOSLAV ARMY SOLDIER GUARDING THE CHURCH 1.15 DOBRUSA, KOSOVO, YUGOSLAVIA (AUGUST 7, 1998) 12. WS/LV VILLAGE WITH BURNT OUT HOUSES (2 SHOTS) 1.26 13. SLV BURNT-OUT ROOF OF HOUSE 1.32 14. SLV HOUSE WHERE WINDOWS WERE BARRICADED WITH BRICKS USED AS A BASE BY THE KLA 1.36 15. SV/CU KALASHNIKOV AND BACKPACK FULL OF BULLETS ON THE TABLE (2 SHOTS) 1.46 16. PAN/PAN DOWN INTERIOR HOUSE WITH ROOM USED AS A SURGERY (2 SHOTS) 1.57 17. VARIOUS OF KITCHEN IN HOUSE/ TABLE WITH FOOD REMAINS (3 SHOTS) 2.13 (UNKNOWN LOCATION) (REUTERS TV) 18. SLV/SV UNHCR BUILDING (2 SHOTS) 2.22 19. VARIOUS REFUGEES IN BUILDING (3 SHOTS) 2.34 FIERZA, ALBANIA (AUGUST 5, 1998) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 20. VARIOUS REFUGEES UNLOADING IN FIERZA (2 SHOTS) 2.40 21. VARIOUS REFUGEES ARRIVING AT BUILDING WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO BE HOUSED/LOCALS WATCHING NEW ARRIVAL OF REFUGEES, MAINLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN (5 SHOTS) 3.00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 20th August 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BETWEEN JACOVICA AND JUNIK AND DOBRUSA, KOSOVO, YUGOSLAVIA/ FIERZA, ALBANIA
  • City:
  • Country: Yugoslavia
  • Reuters ID: LVA4IK4OE0TCMF6OBRYD3JT23D2I
  • Story Text: A number of villages on the road between the Kosovo towns of Jakovica to Junik have been taken over by the Yugoslav army.The villages are close to the Albanian border and the KLA used these villages to distribute arms to their fighters and as medical centres.

    Security forces are closing in on KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army) positions in the far west, notably in and around the town of Junik, near the border of Albania.

    The road leading to Junik, one of the last remaining KLA strongholds, also serves as a supply route for Yugoslav army border posts along the border with Albania.

    The road has been under constant KLA attack and closed for the last two weeks.

    In their attempt to open the road, and enable supplies to get to the border posts, the Yugoslav army has regained control of a number of villages on the Jakovica Junik road.

    The KLA has been stampeded off main roads back into remote hills along with tens of thousands of refugees who say their homes were wantonly shelled and torched without military purpose.

    Shells and rockets rained on the villages of western Kosovo this week as Serb troops tried to flush out ethnic Albania irregulars from their strongholds Refugee officials in Bajram Curri, the main town in the far north of Albania, said some 12,000 refugees had crossed over from Kosovo since the offensive in the southern Serbian province began earlier this year.They estimated that up to 180,000 people had been displaced by the fighting.

    Most remained inside Kosovo, where ethnic Albanians outnumber Serbs by nine to one.The officials said the largest concentration of refugees, as many as 80,000, appeared to be around the southern town of Gjakova.

    Aid officials said the Serbian army appeared to be creating a "cordon sanitaire" along the border with Albania, where guerrillas of the KLA train and re-equip.

    The latest Serb offensive has dealt a body blow to the guerrillas, who just weeks ago were claiming to control up to half of Kosovo.But with more refugees crossing the border daily, the KLA is not short of recruits.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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