ALBANIAN SOURCES ABOUT CONFLICTS NEAR PODUJEVO

PRISTINA, Dec 24 (Hina) - Fierce conflicts are being held Thursday between Kosovo Albanian and Serbian troops in villages north-east from Podujevo in this Yugoslav province. According to new information, members of the Kosovo Liberation Army continue to resist Serbian troops from entering Albanian villages. The Kosovo Information Centre reported that civilians from the villages being attacked were withdrawing deeper into the area. Serbian police have blocked Podujevo and snipers have been placed in strategic positions in the town. The Pristina-Podujevo road is closed for traffic, the centre reported. Serbian sources have so far issued no information about the situation, but the Serbian interior Ministry has announced to issue a statement. A spokesman for the Organisation for security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Joergen Gruene, confirmed detonations and machine gun shots were heard Thursday morning in the Podujevo area. He added that a convoy of army vehicles including several T-55 tanks, left Pristina fro Podujevo Thursday morning. Citing a report by the OSCE verification Team and representatives of the diplomatic-monitoring mission from the field, Gruene said it had not been registered until now that Serbian troops have opened fire from tanks. (hina) lml