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in Rudnik itself, on 6 August.
Some units of the VJ were also observed in this area,
where there had been much damage to houses and shops.
Further east, KDOM reported that practically every house
in Lausa had been destroyed. On 10 August, reports indicated the prolonged artillery shelling of Junik and Erec. Junik appeared to be surrounded on three fronts and the VJ was demanding that the villagers leave by 12 August. In accordance with the pattern of previous offensive actions, access to this area and around Djakovica was denied to the international community, although, from over the Albanian border, the ECMM was able to observe the final assault on Junik on 12 August. On 13 August, Junik finally fell to the Serbian forces after a ten day blockade, and the villagers who fled reported that the VJ had destroyed it. In mid August, there were some reports that Glodjane, Rznic and Prilep had been destroyed and were occupied by MUP forces. Furthermore, south-east of Pec fighting continued and thick smoke was observed over the villages of Lodja and Brezanik. Members of EU KDOM clearly observed these villages burning fiercely in the evening of 15 August, after an attack which had commenced early in the morning and involved three helicopters, four fixed wing propeller driven aircraft, artillery and tanks. There was a significant level of activity by both MUP and JSO forces between Pec and north of Djakovica and local UCK commanders alleged that an area north east of Decane had been bombed by military aircraft. From Pec to Decane, many civilian dwellings had clearly been damaged or destroyed and MUP forces were occupying them. It appeared that the area east of this road was still in contention, while Junik itself was deserted and around 40% destroyed and Prilep around 90% destroyed. However, very quickly after the Serbian forces gained control of an area, the UCK would return and engage in sniping against the MUP personnel stationed there. Smoke was also seen coming from the village of Blace, to the north east of Suva Reka, where MUP and VJ forces were located in defensive positions. On 16 and 17 August, significant numbers of MUP, JSO and VJ forces were observed by KDOM, departing the Pec and Junik areas on the roads to Kosovska Mitrovica and Pristina. KDOM noted the decline in the presence of the MUP and VJ in western Kosovo but also the increase in the number of checkpoints - both MUP and UCK - which continually denied them access to large areas during their patrols. On 21 August, KDOM reported that the UCK continued to be present in the Drenica area, while heavily armed VJ forces had reinforced the normal MUP checkpoint south of Srbica. The VJ had also established a new mobile checkpoint on the road to Prizren, one kilometre south of Zrze, and appeared to be conducting a search operation on both sides of the road. EU KDOM also observed a large fire blazing in the vicinity of Planeja and Gorozup, close to the Albanian border west of Prizren, as well as some evidence of fighting in and around Prizren itself. On 21 August, residents of the village of Vrela, to the north east of Pec, spoke to KDOM and reported that they had fled the village after being issued an ultimatum by the MUP to turn over their weapons or have the village destroyed. Local sources claimed that the villages of Zociste, Opterusa, Retimlje, Samodraza and Zojic, between Suva Reka and Orahovac, were attacked by the MUP on 20 August. At this time, reports were also received by KDOM of the harassment and threatening of villagers in Magura, to the south west of Pristina, many of whom fled their homes, as well as an attack |