SITUATION IN SUVA REKA MUNICIPALITY EXTREMELY DRAMATIC - SAYS KIC

( Editorial: --> 5678 ) PRISTINA, Aug 24 (Hina) - The situation in Suva Reka Municipality is extremely dramatic, the Kosovo Information Centre (KIC) reported on Monday, adding Serbian forces had continued attacking and shelling Albanian villages in the municipality way into the evening hours. The villages of Reshtane and Pecane were the most frequent targets. According to unconfirmed reports, several dozens Albanians were either killed or wounded. Seven members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (OVK) were confirmed to have been wounded. Several thousands inhabitants of villages in the municipality and those who had taken refugee here were reported to be fleeing aboard tractors and on foot towards safer territory. Albanian sources from Suva Reka reported that OVK units conducted violent battles with Serbian forces in the Cernoljevska Valley, which is near the Pristina-Prizren road. The KIC and the Kosovo Human Rights and Freedoms Protection Watch reported that Serbian forces increased and spread their attacks over nine villages in Shtimlje Municipality, 25km south of Kosovo capital Pristina. The village of Recak, which Serbian forces entered yesterday, is on fire. The villages of Vrsevce and Leletiqe in Lipljane Municipality have been under cannon fire since morning. The KIC also reported that a 39-year-old Albanian man from Dragasha Municipality died in a Pristina hospital as a result of police torture. He is the fourth such victim in Kosovo in the last month. (hina) ha 242200 MET aug 98