Serb Troops Cross into Albania, Exchange Fire with Border Police

Strategic Insights -

Serb infantry troops crossed into northern Albania yesterday, sparking a fierce exchange of fire with Albanian border police and briefly seizing control of a border village, Kamenica. The village, which has come under Serb shelling over the past several days, was reportedly left in flames, with at least one observer witnessing houses burning. While the Albanian government claimed the Serbs had pulled back, the US and UK have warned of "serious consequences" if the conflict expands.

Key Takeaways:

  • Serb infantry troops crossed into northern Albania, sparking a fierce exchange of fire with Albanian border police.
  • The village of Kamenica, 70 miles north of the Albanian capital Tirana, was briefly under Serb control and reportedly left in flames.
  • At least one observer witnessed houses burning in the village, and there were reports of no casualties.
  • The US and UK warned of "serious consequences" if the conflict expands.
  • The Albanian government reported that between 3,000 and 4,000 Albanian villagers had fled the area being shelled over the past two days.
  • Yugoslav forces have taken an increasingly hard line toward Albania, suggesting it would hold it responsible for KLA action initiated from its soil.
  • The conflict follows several days of shelling by Yugoslav forces of Kosovo Liberation Army positions in northern Albania.
  • NATO has been carrying on a bombing campaign since March 24 to force Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to pull his forces out of Kosovo and agree to a peace deal.

Statistics:

  • Between 3,000 and 4,000 Albanian villagers had fled the area being shelled over the past two days.
  • 70 miles north of the Albanian capital Tirana.
  • 4 days of intense fighting between KLA rebels and Serb forces in Tropoja, with 2 killed and 9 wounded.
  • 9 KLA fighters reportedly killed in a border clash with Yugoslav soldiers.
  • Nearly 5,000 ethnic Albanians poured into Albania earlier yesterday after what they described as a systematic clearing out of their villages near Pristina, Kosovo's capital.

Sources:

  • Albanian Interior Minister Petro Koci
  • US State Department Spokesman James Rubin
  • White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart
  • Albanian Prime Minister Pandeli Majko
  • Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) observer Pier Gonggrijp
  • Albanian Information Minister Musa Ulqini
  • Associated Press
  • Tanjug news agency
  • Reuters