FIERCE FIGHTING FORCES CIVILIANS TO SPEND NIGHT IN THE OPEN

PRISTINA, March 1 (Hina) - Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) fighters clashed with Serbian police and military troops in the area of Kacanik near the border with Macedonia on Sunday night. Bitter clashes forced civilians to flee their homes and stay overnight under the open sky. The fighting erupted after Serbian forces attacked KLA positions in the village of Gajre, the Albanian 'Kosovapress' news agency reported on Monday. The same sources said the Serbian forces used tanks and armoured carriers in the assault in which two KLA fighters were wounded and at least seven Serbian policemen and soldiers died. Serbian sources reported that one policeman was killed while another four were injured. Villagers from Gajre and other Albanian-populated villages in the area left their homes and spent last night in the cold snowy mountains. Albanian sources added that the OSCE (organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) mission members in Kosovo confirmed that several thousands Albanians had entered Macedonia last nigh, and up to 4,000 thousand were still waiting at the crossing of General Jankovic for passing into Macedonia. Many of them were being prevented by the police to pass the border. On Monday morning neither side reported resumption of the fighting. (hina) ms