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Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo: An Accounting
U.S. State Department Report • December 1999
Executive Summary Introduction Overview Documenting the Abuses		The Refugee Interview Process Postscript: Albanian Retribution and Missing Persons Atrocities and War Crimes by Location Appendix: List of Annotated Web Sites
The following is a list of atrocity incidents reported throughout Kosovo since late March 1999: A-B   ||   C-D   ||   E-H   ||   I-J   ||   K-L   ||   M-N   ||   O-P   ||   Q-R   ||   S-T   ||   U-V   ||   W-Z Place Name         KFOR Sector Ugljare        U.K. An alleged mass grave of unknown size and contents has been reported to KFOR, while another international source has also reported an unknown number of bodies for Ugljare. Ukca        Italian [Ucka] An alleged mass grave containing 97 bodies has been reported to KFOR for Ukca on 9 July 1999, while another international source has also reported 97 bodies for Ukca. Ukmemet Mahala        U.S. An alleged mass grave of unknown size and contents has been reported to KFOR on 19 June 1999 for this village along the southwest border of Kosovo, as well as reported by another international source. Urbovac        U.K. An international organization reports 20 bodies for Urbovac resulting from events on 1 April 1999. Urosevac        U.S. According to ICTY information on November 10, 1999, a site investigation was completed and has confirmed finding 12 bodies at Urosevac. There appear to be four separate mass grave/exposed bodies sites reported in the Urosevac area. According to earlier reporting, Serbian forces reportedly expelled Kosovar Albanian civilians from their homes on 10 April, and used some of the homes as barracks. Former Albanian shops and homes were reportedly given to Serbian villagers. Serbian forces reportedly targeted the homes of prominent politicians and intellectuals. As many as 40 Kosovar Albanians were killed, and refugees reported the rape of young Albanian girls. According to a Kosovar Albanian refugee, Serbian forces forced Albanian males to dig defensive positions on the southeast side of the city, with the Serbians forcing 25 civilians from the nearby town of Starosello to dig trenches from 10 to 12 April. According to Kosovapress from late May, Serbian forces rounded up numerous Kosovar Albanian civilians around Urosevac and detained them at a restaurant called Pranvera. Vaganica        French An alleged mass grave containing 53 bodies of unknown origin has been reported to KFOR for Vaganica on 9 July 1999. The UCK reportedly brought the corpses into the village where they were buried by villagers in early June. Another international source has reported a mass grave/exposed bodies site containing 55 bodies for this site. Varosh        U.S. [Varos Selo] According to refugee reports, Serbian paramilitary forces reportedly entered Kosovar Albanian homes, expelled the inhabitants at knifepoint, and stole their belongings. They reportedly killed an unknown number of Kosovar Albanians and removed their bodies. Vatay        U.S. [Vata] A mass grave/exposed bodies site with an unknown body count has been reported for Vatay. According to earlier refugee reports, Serbian forces reportedly killed 14 Kosovar Albanians on 13 April. One refugee claimed that he was forced to bury the bodies, and that all of the corpses he saw were shot in the back of the head. Velatihes        U.K. A mass grave/exposed bodies site containing three bodies has been reported for Velatihes. Velika Dobranja        U.K. An alleged mass grave containing three bodies has been reported to KFOR for Velika Dobranja on 20 June 1999, while another international source has reported the site with an unknown body count. According to refugee reporting, on 28 April 1999, Serbian forces shelled the village of Velika Dobranja, killing three and wounding five villagers. Velika Krusa        German According to ICTY information on November 10, 1999, a site investigation was completed and has confirmed finding 98 bodies at three sites; 40 bodies at one site, and 34 and 24 bodies at the other sites. Refugees reported in late March that Serbian forces killed 150-160 Kosovar Albanian men after separating them from the women and children and the event appears to be corroborated in a videotape shot by a survivor, who also gave the names of 24 of the victims. The BBC aired the refugee's video showing dead bodies lying in ditches and in the streets; according to the refugee, all of the victims had single bullet wounds in the back of the head or neck. A female refugee claimed that 40 men were executed by Serbian forces in Velika Krusa, while other refugees claim that homes were set ablaze, burning to death over 60 Kosovar Albanians--including women and children. A mass grave containing some 50 bodies had been reported and, according to refugees, police told residents of the nearby villages of Lashec, Kobanje, and Atmanxha that "as a gift, we will only kill ten of you," and then told the survivors to "go to NATO." According to press reports, German KFOR troops on 16 June discovered the charred remains of at least 20 bodies in one house where villagers claim Serbian forces burned them alive. Veliko Ribare        U.K. Alleged mass graves have been reported to KFOR for Veliko Ribare on 20 & 27 June 1999. In what may be two separate incidents, a mass grave by the side of the road reportedly contains nine victims shot by MUP or VJ forces as they ran from their homes. In another incident, 25 people were allegedly killed and buried in different graves between Malo Ribare and Veliko Ribare, while another international source has also reported a mass grave/exposed bodies site containing 25 bodies for Veliko Ribare. Veliko Rudare        French An alleged mass grave containing ten bodies, and believed to be located near a river, has been reported to KFOR for this site on 15 July 1999. Veric        French According to ICTY information on November 10, 1999, a site investigation was completed and has confirmed finding 3 bodies at Veric. Veternik        U.K. An alleged mass grave consisting of bodies near a hospital has been reported to KFOR for Veternik on 16 June 1999. A mass grave/exposed bodies site with an unknown body count has been reported for this site. According to a 27 March 1999 Reuters report, Serbian forces fired on houses at night in this suburb of Pristina. The residents then fled for Macedonia at daybreak. Vidomiric        French An alleged mass grave of unknown size and contents has been reported to KFOR for Vidomiric on 5 July 1999. Vinarc        French [Donje Vinarce] A mass grave/exposed bodies site containing seven bodies has been reported for Vinarc. Vladavo        U.S. A mass grave/exposed bodies site containing two bodies has been reported for Vladavo. Vlastica 1, 2        U.S. According to ICTY information on November 10, 1999, a site investigation was completed and confirmed finding 13 bodies at this site. However, on 29 June 1999, an international forensic team completed a site investigation and confirmed finding the remains of 20 villagers who were killed at two separate locations in Vlastica. Thirteen people were killed at one site and seven at another. Vlastica is an old Albanian farming village of about 1,000 people in 350 households. By late April, 1999 only two Albanian families remained in the village following a "Serb police military" attack on the village on 13 April. On the afternoon of 30 April, two paramilitary men armed with AK-47 assault rifles went to the house of one of the two remaining families--consisting of 19 individuals in an extended family--and ordered the family to move down the street to another house. There they asked the family: "Where are the KLA?" When a 68 year old male answered that there were no UCK in the village, he was shot dead through the right eye. After that incident, the remaining family members were lined up in a sitting room and sprayed with small arms fire by the two militiamen. The shooting continued until the perpetrators thought all of the family members were dead. They then set the house on fire. Witnesses heard a two year old boy screaming until he died from the flames. Miraculously, six family members--though shot and left for dead in the house--managed to escape and survive before the house was ablaze. In a twist of fate, at least one of the survivors reported that he was taken to a hospital in Gnjilane by Serbian police and treated by Serbian nurses. Three to four days after the killings, an unknown person using a bulldozer pushed in most of the walls of the house in an apparent attempt to bury the victims and destroy the crime scene. These events account for 13 of the dead in Vlastica. In an earlier incident, according to witnesses' accounts provided to the forensic team, villagers attempted to escape Serbian paramilitary attacks on the village by fleeing to the nearby forested hills. Gunfire was later heard coming from the same hills. When other villagers later searched the area, they found seven of their fellow villagers dead. The dead were then buried on a grassy hillside at the outskirts of the village and found by the forensic team. Vollajka        German According to ICTY information on November 10, 1999, a site investigation was completed and has confirmed finding no bodies at Vollajka. Vragolija        U.K. Three mass grave/exposed bodies sites have been reported for Vragolija: one containing five bodies; one with four bodies; and a third with an unknown body count. Vrbica        U.S. According to ICTY information on 10 November 1999, a site investigation was completed and confirmed finding no bodies at Vrbica. However, on 8 July 1999, a mass grave containing seven bodies in the local Muslim cemetery were reported at this site in the village of Vrbica, east of Gnjilane. The victims were reportedly Albanians killed in isolated incidents during a Serbian offensive on 16 June 1999. According to earlier refugee reports, Serbian forces on 23 April allegedly executed 19 Kosovar Albanians. It remains unclear at this time if the ICTY site is the one reported by refugees. Vrbica        U.S. A mass grave/exposed bodies site containing 30 bodies has been reported for Vrbica in the village of Vrbica, northwest of Gnjilane. Vrbica Ibrovit        U.S. On 8 July 1999, it was reported that six people were killed at Vrbica Ibrovit. The victims were reportedly killed in isolated incidents about one month apart. At least one of the victims was killed by a sniper. Vrbnica        German According to ICTY information on November 10, 1999, a site investigation was completed and has confirmed finding no bodies at Vrbnica. Vrbovac        U.K. According to ICTY information on November 10, 1999, a site investigation was completed and has confirmed finding 25 bodies at two sites; twelve bodies at one site and thirteen at another. According to refugee reports, several men reported that they had witnessed mass killings about 3 May 1999 in a small village called Vrbovac. About 15 men and women were reportedly massacred by Serbian forces. Those who survived the incident ran into the hills, where they spent two days before being chased out by other Serbian forces and bused to Pristina. According to a 8 June 1999 AP-TV press report, a refugee reported that masked paramilitary men fired without warning on him and four other men in Vrbovac in central Kosovo in May 1999. The wounded victim survived by playing dead among the dead bodies and later escaped. Other refugees reported that more than 100 people were killed over a one-week period by Serbian paramilitary forces. One refugee reported that he saw Serbians bury bodies in mass graves and then later saw them dig up the bodies and rebury them in individual graves in an apparent attempt to conceal their crimes. Vrbovac        U.S. An alleged mass grave, 5 x 1 meters in size with unknown contents, has been reported to KFOR for this site in Vitina Municipality on 24 July 1999. Vrela        Italian [Vrelo Cemetery] According to ICTY information on November 10, 1999, site investigations were completed and have confirmed finding 6 bodies at Vrela; three at one site and three bodies at another site. Vrnica        French A mass grave/exposed bodies site containing six bodies has been reported for Vrnica. Vrsevac        Location Uncertain Refugees report that Serbian police used Kosovar Albanians as human shields here on 7 April. Vucitrn        French Serbian forces reportedly burned all houses previously rented by the OSCE and looted Kosovar Albanian homes. Refugees from the town also claim that men were separated from their families. On 27 March, Serbian forces reportedly killed four young Kosovar Albanians, including a 14 year old girl. By 29 March, Serbian forces had reportedly herded Kosovar Albanians into a school in the city, and refugees from the town claim that the men were being separated from their families. Since mid-April, Serbian forces had reportedly killed over 100 Kosovar Albanians in villages north of Vucitrn. Additional refugees witnessed Serbian forces removing young men from convoys and shooting them. According to the Albanian press, Serbian forces rounded up large numbers of Kosovar Albanian men from Vucitrn on 21 May and sent them to the Smrekovnica prison. In addition, Serbian forces killed at least 23 Kosovar Albanians in Vucitrn on 26 May, according to Kosovapress. Subsequently, on 21 and 23 June, KFOR identified burned houses with corpses inside. One identified report indicated that 72 persons were supposed to have been shot and some burnt in the houses. Several earlier alleged KFOR mass grave reports indicated that up to 120 bodies were at the site. A mass grave/exposed bodies site containing 120 bodies has been reported for Vucitrn. Vucitrn Barracks        French An alleged mass grave of unknown size and contents has been reported to KFOR for this site on 17 June 1999, as well as reported by another international source.
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