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casualties. The Serbian
authorities in Kosovo announced that this operation had
been against known terrorists and confirmed seven deaths. On 1 September, a new offensive was launched by Serbian/FRY forces on the outskirts of Prizren. Locals claimed that the villages of Leskovac, Jeshkovo and Posliste were the targets of Serbian shelling and smoke was observed by EU KDOM. A convoy of approximately fifteen VJ armoured vehicles was also observed that day, moving from Zrze towards Prizren. On 2 September, the Serbian/FRY operation against several villages close to Prizren continued. EU KDOM was told that in the Vrini region villages were encircled and under attack by VJ, MUP and special forces. US and EU KDOM observed what appeared to be a VJ led offensive south of Prizren, towards the Albanian border. In addition, US KDOM observed a VJ led offensive west of Orahovac, focused on Drenovac. The Serbian/FRY operation here appeared to have begun in the area from Zrze to Orahovac, the Serbian authorities claiming that Drenovac was a UCK stronghold. On 5 September, VJ units and MUP forces continued their operations to the south west, west and north of Orahovac, focusing on Drenovac and Ponorac. A witness told KDOM that the villages of Donje Potocane, Gornje Potocane, Sopnio, Bela Crvka, Nasfale and Drenovac had been targeted, shelled and set on fire. In confirmation of this, smoke was observed coming from the area. On 7 September, KDOM observed VJ and MUP forces repositioning north from the Drenovac area towards Ostrozub. KDOM spoke to residents of Ponorac who claimed that the area was surrounded on 4 and 5 September by MUP forces coming from Malisevo, Orahovac and Klina. On the morning of the 4th, the village of Zatric to the south and Labucevo to the west were shelled and destroyed. The villagers fled into the woods and the MUP forces herded them to a field just to the west of Ponorac, where the men were separated from the women and taken to be detained in the schoolhouse. KDOM visited this building and noted the damage inflicted upon it. Residents also claimed that tractors with supplies were burned by the MUP nearby. South of Prizren, KDOM observed houses on fire in Leskovac, Hoca Zagradska and Posliste on 5 September. US KDOM observed a coordinated artillery, tank and dismounted VJ unit attack on the village of Hoca Zagradaska, although there appeared to be a lack of co-ordination between the VJ and the MUP in this area. There was also evidence that MUP forces were burning villages in the Kpuz area In addition, the village of Radoste, north of Zrze had been badly damaged - about 75% of buildings being burnt out and this was also the case in nearby Ratovac. KDOM were further informed of an operation at Sanovac, 1 kilometre north of Drenovac, where MUP forces encircling the village fired shots into a crowd of civilians, and one in Kramovik, on the road between Klina and Djakovica, during which MUP forces had set many houses on fire. On 8 September, US KDOM observed "specialised paramilitary forces" in and around Rznic, east of Decane, which was burning, and MUP and VJ forces were also occupying the village. A joint MUP/VJ operation was also observed further north in Krusevac, where houses were on fire and the Serbian/FRY forces were conducting "sweeps" in and out of houses. Villagers told KDOM that the MUP and VJ had surrounded the village and then attacked it on 9 September. Nearby, the village of Rasic was also burning and in Istinic there |