YUGOSLAVIA: KOSOVO: K-FOR TROOPS PROTECT SERB FAMILY

Natural Sound

K-FOR troops rescued a besieged Serb family in a predominantly Albanian neighbourhood of the city of Pec on Tuesday.

The troops, from the Italian Carabinieri, arrived at the scene after the family called for help, fearing attack by angry ethnic Albanians.

The drama unfolded as more reports came in of random violence between the Serb and ethnic Albanian populations living in the southern Kosovo province of Yugoslavia.

With the withdrawal of Serb forces complete, many Serbs living in Kosovo fear they may face the brunt of anger from returning ethnic Albanian refugees.

This family was lucky when 30 members of the Italian Carabinieri turned up to escort them from their apartment building in the city of Pec in western Kosovo.

Neither this family nor the soldiers were willing to take any chances.

Elsewhere in western Kosovo, an elderly couple were reported killed in their home in Prizren.

Grabbing what they could carry, the family was herded into military jeeps which would transport them to a local Orthodox monastery leaving behind possessions that may be looted and a home likely to be destroyed.

Random violence have taken over many areas in the province as both Serbs and ethnic Albanians attempt to seek revenge for the losses they have endured.

Serbs in the city of Pec have been under increasing pressure from their returning Albanian neighbours to get out.

Worst still, they fear soldiers from the Kosovo Liberation Army (K-L-A) coming down from the surrounding hills will want violent retribution.

The task to ensure the safety of Serbs remaining in Pec is becoming an increasingly difficult for K-FOR.

Nearly 50-thousand Serbs have already left Kosovo since the bombing campaign ended over a week ago.

Warnings from NATO and aid agencies imploring ethnic Albanians not to return to their homes until the area is cleared of mines and booby traps have largely fallen on deaf ears.

Now, K-FOR is given the added complication of establishing local links to both ethnic populations in an attempt to restrain them from sending the province into further chaos.
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