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On 20 September, EU KDOM reported that the villages of Kusnin, Lubizda, Kabas, Dedaj and Damnjane, to the north-west of Prizren, in the region of Has, were under siege by Serbian/FRY forces. Smoke and flames were observed coming from Dedaj, Maros, Kivza and Retimnje. Further, on 21 September EU KDOM visited nearby Romaja and observed several burnt out houses. According to local Kosovars, Serbs in the uniform of the VJ had arrived in the village and terrorised the population, beating, threatening and raping women, as well as offering money for information about hidden weapons. Similarly, the inhabitants of Kusnin told of mistreatment at the hands of VJ special forces, including the rape and threats of rape of women and the beating and ill-treatment of men.

On 23 September, EU KDOM reported the large-scale burning of areas south of Kosovska Mitrovica and north west of Obilic. It was denied access around Lausa and Glogovac as all roads into the eastern Drenica region were blocked by MUP milicija due to large-scale operations in the area. Nonetheless, KDOM noted that these operations were of such an intensity that it was possible to see houses burning in a north-westerly direction from Pristina. VJ artillery fire was clearly being directed at the Cicavica area and, indeed, the Serbian authorities claimed that their police forces had broken down "groups of heavily armed Albanians" in villages on the slopes of the Cicavica mountains. From its observations, KDOM assessed that heightened joint VJ and MUP actions in the eastern Drenica and Cicavica regions were taking place in an area bounded by Pristina, Komorane, Srbica, Kosovska Mitrovica, Vucitrn and Obilic. EU KDOM observed villages burning in the Obilic area on 23 September and US KDOM observed thirteen burning houses in and around Grabovac and Velika Belacea, west of Kosovo Polje. Further south, the presence of substantial VJ forces north west of Kacanik was rendering the local Kosovar population increasingly fearful of attack.

Also on 23 September, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1199, which expressed its concern at the fighting in Kosovo, particularly "the excessive and indiscriminate use of force by Serbian security forces and the Yugoslav Army", and demanded that all hostilities cease immediately, especially action by the security forces affecting the civilian population, and that the FRY withdraw all security units used for civilian repression36. Subsequently, however, the offensive actions undertaken by the Serbian/FRY forces intensified markedly and this was indeed noted by the UN Secretary-General in his Report of 3 October 199837. Indeed, EU KDOM reported on 25 September that a major Serbian/FRY offensive had begun that morning in the Drenica region, launched from the south and using the Pristina-Pec road as a start-line. Although it was prevented from getting close to the area, KDOM

  1. S/RES/1199 (1998)
  2. Report of the Secretary-General prepared pursuant to Resolutions 1160 (1998) and 1199 (1998) of the Security Council, 3 October 1998, S/1998/912. The Secretary-General stated that:
    "During the reporting period [4 September to 3 October], fighting in Kosovo continued unabated. Government security forces conducted offensives in the various parts of Kosovo, including the areas of Licovac, Glogovac and Cicavica. In the week following the adoption, on 23 September 1998, of resolution 1199 (1998), the forces in fact intensified their operations, launching another offensive in the Drenica region and in the Suva Reka-Stimilje-Urosevac triangle. … Smaller operations were conducted by the Serbian security forces in the Prizren area. Fighting continued on 28 and 29 September, contrary to the statement of the Serbian Prime Minister, Mr. Marjanovic, on 28 September, that anti-insurgency operations in Kosovo had been completed and that peace reigned in Kosovo."