INDICTMENT FILED AGAINST 35 PERSONS FOR ALLEGED WAR CRIMES

PRIŠTINA, SEPTEMBER 4 /SRNA/ - The Special Prosecutor's Office in Priština has filed an indictment against 35 persons on suspicion that they allegedly committed war crimes in 1998 in the Jašari neighbourhood of Donje Prekaze village, Srbica Municipality.

The indictment was filed in absentia, Koha reports.

Prosecutor Valdet Gashi said the indictment concerns the killing of civilians and that the defendants held high-ranking command positions within the structures of Serbia's special police units.

They are charged with an alleged war crime against the civilian population as a result of their operations during the events of March 5, 6 and 7, 1998, in the village of Donje Prekaze, Jašari neighbourhood.

In early March 1998, an anti-terrorist operation by Serbia's Ministry of Interior was carried out in the village of Donje Prekaze near Srbica following two attacks by the terrorist so-called Kosovo Liberation Army /KLA/, headed by Adem Jashari, in which two police officers and three civilians were wounded.

Two police officers were killed and three were wounded during the anti-terrorist operation.

Adem Jashari and several other people were also killed after they refused to surrender and put up strong resistance using heavy weapons.