Albanian rebels in the Presevo valley area of southern Serbia clashed yesterday with the Yugoslav army and police forces, according to Albanian rebel leaders, reports Christian Jennings from Dobrosin.
The rebels blamed the new Serb President, Mr Vojislav Kostunica, for instigating a new crackdown. They said soldiers from the Yugoslav army and police troops attacked trench positions occupied by ethnic Albanian rebels one mile from the rebel-occupied village of Dobrosin, which lies some 500 metres inside Serbia, across the boundary with Kosovo.
"This is the second attack on our positions since Kostunica took power," Commander Shefkjit Musliu said. "He needs to show a strong hand," added another commander.
By mid-afternoon firing around Dobrosin had died down, although sporadic bursts of gunfire could be heard from Serb and Albanian positions which surround the small farming village.