SERBIAN FORCES LAUNCH NEW ATTACKS IN KOSOVO

( Editorial: --> 7452 ) PRISTINA, March 5 (Hina) - Serbian forces are not ceasing attacks on villages in Drenica and the Srbica municipality in Kosovo, the Kosovo Information Centre said on Thursday afternoon. A large number of Albanian residents are leaving their homes. There is still no official information on the number of casualties or wounded. Two members of the Presidency of the Democratic Union of Kosovo are heading towards Vucitrn, Mitrovica and Srbica to obtain information about the latest situation in the region and to call on Albanians not to abandon their homes. An international Red Cross delegation has arrived in Kosovska Mitrovica. According to Pristina radio broadcasts in Serbian, the Serbian Interior Ministry issued a statement Thursday morning saying that "in a terrorist attack, Albanian separatists (ambushed and) lightly wounded two police officers with machine guns". The Kosovo Information Centre said the situation in the Klina municipality was very tense and strong Serbian forces had been deployed in the town. A journalist for the Albanian daily "Koha Dore", Maxhun Ismaili, was arrested in Klina, according to the Centre. Tension has been mounting in Kosovo's capital Pristina. Most stores are closed and very few people can be seen on the streets, except for Serbian police officers whose numbers have been unusually increased. (hina) lm jn /mb 052012 MET mar 98