YUGOSLAVIA: YUGOSLAV ARMY CLASHES WITH ALBANIANS ATTEMPTING TO CROSS INTO YUGOSLAVIA WITH WEAPONS/INTERNATIONAL AID CONVOY STOPPED AT ROAD BLOCKS

Record ID: 566057

  • Title: YUGOSLAVIA: YUGOSLAV ARMY CLASHES WITH ALBANIANS ATTEMPTING TO CROSS INTO YUGOSLAVIA WITH WEAPONS/INTERNATIONAL AID CONVOY STOPPED AT ROAD BLOCKS
  • Date: 10th August 1998
  • Summary: GOROZUP, BORDER POST OF YUGOSLAVIA (AUGUST 9, 1998) (RTV) 1. LV YUGOSLAV ARMY SOLDIERS 0.05 2. SLV DEAD ALBANIAN ON THE GROUND 0.10 3. SLV YUGOSLAV ARMY SOLDIERS CARRYING WEAPONS 0.14 4. SLV/CU OF AMMUNITION (7 SHOTS) 0.44 RAMOC VILLAGE, YUGOSLAVIA (AUGUST 8, 1998) (RTV) 5. LV VILLAGE IN DISTANCE (2 SHOTS) 1.05 6. SLV PEOPLE IN THE VILLAGE (5 SHOTS) 1.46 7. SLV YUGOSLAV ARMY APC FOLLOWING PEOPLE FOR THEIR PROTECTION 1.53 UNIDENTIFIED LOCATIONS IN KOSOVO (AUGUST 8, 1998) (RTV) 8. SLV/SV AID CONVOY DRIVING ALONG (2 SHOTS) 2.09 9. SV CONVOY BLOCKED BY BOULDERS IN ROAD 2.12 10. SLV/SV KLA SOLDIERS AT ROAD BLOCK STANDING AROUND WITH AID CONVOY PERSONNEL (6 SHOTS) 2.39 11. SLV VEHICLE TURNING TO GO BACK 2.49 12. SLV KLA SOLDIERS AT ROAD BLOCK 2.57 DJAKOVICA, YUGOSLAVIA (AUGUST 8, 1998) (RTV) 13. SLV/SV AID CONVOY UNLOADING SUPPLIES (3 SHOTS) 3.06 14. LAS CHILDREN CARRYING AID BOXES TO WAREHOUSE 3.11 15. MCU COORDINATOR OF THE WHO PROGRAMME MICK LORENTZEN TALKING ABOUT THE BURNT OUT VILLAGES THEY PASSED ON ROUTE AND QUESTIONING WHERE ALL THE PEOPLE HAVE GONE SAYING: "FOR THE LAST 15 OR 20 KMS YOU DRIVE DOWN. ALL THE VILLAGES ARE BURNT OUT, EMPTY. WE CAME ACROSS VERY FEW PEOPLE WORKING IN THE FIELDS. THE PLACE IS DESTROYED, HOUSES TOTALLY GUTTED, THEY HAVE BEEN TORCHED. THERE IS NOTHING FOR PEOPLE TO COME BACK TO" (ENGLISH) 3.28 16. LAS UNLOADING OF AID ONTO PONY AND TRAILER 3.33 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th August 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: GOROZUP, BORDER POST OF YUGOSLAVIA, RAMOC, DJAKOVICA AND UNIDENTIFIED LOCATIONS, YUGOSLAVIA
  • City:
  • Country: Yugoslavia
  • Reuters ID: LVAAVISUKDJFPHJ08QRGNMOZ18OX
  • Story Text: The Yugoslav army clashed with a group of about 50 Albanians attempting to cross into Yugoslavia with some four tons of weapons and ammunition.

    An international aid convoy has faced road blocks, land mines and lengthy delays at checkpoints in a desperate bid to reach Albanian refugees trapped in Kosovo.

    The Yugoslav army intercepted the Albanians 1.5 kms into the country on Sunday (August 9).In the fighting one Albanian was killed.No casualties have been reported to Yugoslav army soldiers.

    Army reports said the Albanians were trying to bring in some 4 tons of weapons and ammunition and that they used 20 horses to carry the arms accross the border.

    Catholics in the divided town of Ramoc, in Kosovo, claim they were forced by KLA forces to take up arms and fight the Serbs.Calm has now returned to Ramoc which has been taken over by Serb forces.The Catholic part of the village remains intact.However the Muslim side has been destroyed.

    The Catholics in Ramoc say they did not want to participate in the confliCt but claim KLA members came into the village a month and a half ago, gave them weapons and ammunition and ordrered them to fight against Serb police forces.

    They also claim that the KLA forced them to dig trenches.

    A week ago the Catholic villagers surrendered their weapons to the Yugoslav army forces..

    An international aid convoy has faced road blocks, land mines and lengthy delays at checkpoints in a desperate bid to reach albanian refugees trapped in Kosovo.

    The World Food Programme organised to take urgent food and medical supplies to Djakovica, some 90 km south of capital Pristina, an area which has not been visited for a number fo weeks.But much of the surrounding area has been under intense Serb attack with many villages completely destroyed.

    On one road, the convoy was forced to turn back where the KLA had blocked the road with a stone wall.Their huge trucks carrying more than 8,000 aid supplies had to turn in an area littered with landmines.

    Eventually, after several hours on the road, the convoy arrived at Djakovica, where the supplies were unloaded at a Mother Teresa wharehouse.

    There are now believed to be around a quarter of a million refugees but the biggest problem for the agencies is reaching them.


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