OSCE CONDEMNS MASS KILLINGS OF ALBANIANS NEAR DJAKOVICA

PRISTINA, Jan 29 (Hina) - The OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Verification Mission condemned the mass killing of ethnic Albanians in the village of Rogovo near Djakovica, said British General John Drewienkiewick, at a news conference at the OSCE centre in Pristina on Friday evening. This is one more blow to our efforts to achieve a peaceful solution, British General told reporters. An OSCE spokesman reported earlier that 23 Albanians were killed near Djakovica on Friday. Eleven of the killed Albanians were in a minibus, three in front of the bus and four were in a house, all unarmed. The rest of the killed Albanians were in the Rogovo village centre, according to the first OSCE report. Gen. Drewienkiewick said Yugoslav authorities told him that all the killed had been armed terrorists. But, a local commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) said there were only four KLA fighters among the victims, while the rest were civilians whom he did not know. British General told reporters that Yugoslav authorities had agreed that Finnish forensic specialists, who were already in the field, could launch an enquiry. Gen. Drewiekiewick confirmed that on Friday morning Serbian forces had killed 24 Albanians, four of whom had worn KLA uniforms. One Serbian policemen was killed, he added. (hina) ms