Kosovo - Police operation in Prekaz

(7 Mar 1998) T/I: 10:45:53 Serbian police said a police operation in the village of Prekaz, in the central Kosovo region of Drenica, was still underway Saturday afternoon (7/3). The police action was necessary as a "large number of civilians" had been killed by these terrorists in recent weeks, Colonel Ljubinko Cvetic of the Serbian Interior ministry told reporters Saturday. However, a local official in the region said Saturday that all roads into Kosovo province had reopened, indicating that the a police operation to crack down on "terrorists" was over. Local Albanian officials say hundreds of villagers fled their homes during the Serb operation and many were hiding in the woods. SHOWS: PREKAZE, CENTRAL KOSOVO, YUGOSLAVIA 07/03 WS smoke on hill above Prekaze; WS smoking houses; VS Albanian men walking along roads having fled the village; SOT leader of local branch of LDK, Rugova's Party (in Albanian) saying that all the people who were able to flee are in the woods and that there's no-one from Albania with weapons; CA farmhouse; SOT leader of local branch of LDK (in Albanian) replying to question about Serb claims of KLA he denies their existence and says that it is Serb propaganda (with English translation); VS views of village on hill above Prekaze; VS refugee Albanian women and children from Prekaze; MS woman who gave birth to child while running from village; woman saying that she arrived yesterday she has no idea about her family members including the father of her child (Albanian with English translation); WS village; people sitting on ground; WS village; 2.15 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...