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KDOM Daily Report Released by the Bureau of European and Canadian Affairs, Office of South Central European Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, October 27, 1998

Compiled by EUR/SCE (202-647-4850) from daily reports
of the U.S. element of the Kosovo Diplomatic Observer Mission

October 27, 1998

The cease-fire is holding, while Serbian military and police presence declines. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) continue to return to their homes and the atmosphere is marginally better throughout Kosovo today.

KDOM teams saw military units remaining deployed near Suva Reka, Komorane, Urosevac, and Klina. The numbers of personnel has declined, however, from battalion to company-sized units. KDOM also noted a continuing reduction in police personnel and equipment, beginning last evening with the departure of 4,100 police.

Police checkpoints are being dismantled at Grebnik, Klina, and Stimlje. While these and others have been abandoned, there are still some checkpoints remaining. KDOM teams did sight what appeared to be a hidden police observation position at Komorane. The police have also abandoned numerous positions along the Malisevo-Orohovac-Lapusnik roads.

With the departure of the police, IDPs have begun to re-inhabit villages along the Pec-Pristina road and in southern Drenica and the Pagarusa Valley areas. As these villages re-populate, KDOM notes an overall mood of guarded optimism. Freedom of movement for residents has improved today and was good for KDOM teams.

The police reported several minor incidents in the Malisevo and Drenica regions where several police vehicles were allegedly damaged by armed assailants. No casualties were reported. Other incidents were reported in Stimlje, Prizren, and Rudnik.

An ethnic Albanian was killed and another injured today in Dragobilje by a booby trap. In a sweep of the area by locals two additional traps were discovered. The returning IDPs blamed the police for the traps. The commander of the Serbian police in Pristina promised to send a bomb disposal unit to the Malisevo area on October 28.

[End of Document]

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