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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, December 11, 1998

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

December 11, 1998

Kosovo had a 3-4" snowfall today which slowed traffic and otherwise complicated life. At the Glogovac Power Station (west of Kosovo Polje) one policeman and two electrical workers were shot dead in an ambush this afternoon. The ambush apparently took place as the men opened the station's doors to begin repairs. Police at the scene told KDOM they believed the dead police officer to be of Albanian descent, as were the electrical workers. A second policeman escaped unhurt. KDOM is investigating the incident.

KDOM accompanied routine police patrols from Orahovac to Malisevo and back, and from Dragobilje to Malisevo and return, both without incident. Police canceled the routine patrol from Dulje to Malisevo due to weather conditions. KDOM did the patrol alone, again without incident. An EU-KDOM team which accompanied a team of Finnish pathologists to investigate mass grave sites told US-KDOM that both KLA and Serbian authorities raised obstacles to the team's moving into an expected grave near Gornje Obrinje (near Glogovac).

KDOM accompanied a State Department explosive demolition team to Beleg (SE of Decani) today where residents had reported unexploded ordnance in and near their village. The residents led the team to some 82mm and 155mm artillery shells. KDOM will coordinate with the police in Decani to remove the items.

In the village of Kos (north of Klina) KDOM accompanied the police chief on visits to Albanian households. In speaking to the villagers, the chief expressed concern about reported police threats to ethnic Albanians and advised that corrective measures would be taken. He pledged personally to see to electrical power restoration to the village and that police would no longer occupy the village school. The villagers expressed their appreciation to the chief and to KDOM for the developments.

KDOM spoke with the police at a checkpoint on the Pec-Pristina highway at Kijevo who said their mission was to hunt out weapons and terrorists. The police were poorly uniformed and at least one man was from the local area. KDOM believes the group may be "irregular" police personnel.

At Erecka Suka (SE of Decani) KDOM observed three unauthorized police bunkers and fighting positions. KDOM will raise the issue of these positions with police authorities. KLA personnel in civilian clothes south of Kijevo told KDOM that KLA will not allow police to patrol on hard surface roads between Kijevo and Malisevo. KDOM patrols saw armed and uniformed KLA on or near several main roads in the area today.

Five Mother Teresa Society and Kap Amamur(a German anti-mine NGO) workers were stopped by armed Serbian civilians while traveling west of Orahovac today. The workers were pulled from their cars and held for several hours before being allowed to proceed. KDOM will raise the incident with police authorities tomorrow. KDOM personnel assisted villagers in Loda (SE of Pec) in cleaning up local schools and rebuilding homes.

KDOM ran 22 missions today with 132 people and 28 vehicles.

[End of Document]

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