CLASHES NEAR THE TOWN OF ORAHOVAC CONTINUE

( Editorial: --> 8592 ) PRISTINA, July 19 (Hina) - Intense battles between Kosovo Liberation Army combatants and Serbian police forces continued on Sunday, with a third day of uninterrupted fighting in Orahovac and surrounding villages. Telephone lines to Orahovac have been cut off since Saturday. However, Hina has learned from the reporters of the Albanian language daily newspaper "Bujku" based in Orahovac that the battle area has expanded, and Serbian heavy artillery had been bombing villages around Drenovci. According to reports from the field, two Albanian civilians were killed in the conflicts between Albanian and Serbian forces, and many were injured. Eyewitnesses also report slaughters of the Albanian civilian population in the region, but these statements have not so far been confirmed by the official Albanian sources in Pristina. Agence France Presse, quoting well-informed Serb sources, reported on Sunday that Serbian police forces are progressing towards Orahovac and that they have taken control of some points of this south-western Kosovo town. (Hina) is /mbr 191520 MET jul 98