SERBIAN FORCES LAUNCH HEAVY ATTACKS ON KOSOVO ALBANIAN VILLAGES

( Editorial: --> 5413 ) PRISTINA, Aug 23 (Hina) - Serbian forces have launched artillery attacks on Albanian villages across Kosovo, forcing their population to flee, Kosovo Albanian sources reported on Sunday. The Kosovo Information Centre in Pristina said villages were attacked in the Suva Reka, Urosevac, Shtimlja, Lipljani and Glogovac municipalities. On some villages shells are falling every three minutes. Residents in five villages in the Suva Reka area have been forced to leave their homes, but for now there is no information on possible victims. Early Sunday morning Serbian forces began to attack villages in the Urosevac, Shtimlja and Lipljani municipalities in the central part of the southern Yugoslav province. Democratic Alliance of Kosovo sources from Shtimlja, about 25km south of Pristina, said the attacks had been the strongest by Serbian forces so far on that area. Serbian military and police forces had also shelled four villages in the Glogovac municipality. According to Kosovo sources in the Komorane area, 30km south of Pristina, strong battles between Serbian forces and members of the Kosovo Liberation Army are underway. Serbian sources have not confirmed the battles. (Hina) mbr 231913 MET aug 98