The LDK Presidency supports fully the President of the Republic of Kosova, Mr. Ibrahim Rugova, and the delegation which represented Kosova in the conference and consensually subscribed to the interim agreement, the LDK said in a statement issued after a meeting today.

The Peace Conference in Rambouillet is of great importance for Kosova and all its people, because it brought the heavily internationalized Kosova issue on top of the international agenda, Rugova's party said.

Having given its support to the text of the Interim Agreement, the LDK leadership calls on all its structures to fully back it during the pending consultations in the run-up to March 15, the LDK said.

The Presidency of the Democratic League of Kosova hailed the work of the Conference organizers, the mediators and other international participants, singling out the role of the United States of America, first and foremost of the Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, whose outstanding contribution to the Rambouillet talks is highly appreciated, the LDK statement said.

Sporadic gunfire aimed at these Albanian villages was heard all night long. No immediate details on the consequences of this assault have been made available.

Later on, beginning at 21:45 CET, Serbian forces stationed in the hills overlooking the villages of Frashër i Vogël, Vaganicë e Poshtme, Vaganicë e Epërme, Pirç and Vërnicë, machine-gunned UÇK (Kosova Liberation Army) positions in the area. The machine-gun assault against UÇK positions resumed early today (Monday) morning, lasting for three hours, from 02:00 through 05:00 CET, local sources said.

Serbian troops opened artillery fire from their military base at Shipol, on the suburbs of Mitrovica, early in the morning today. There has been no immediate word on casualties or material damage.

PRISHTINA, March 1 (KIC) - In the wake of the Serbian military crackdown in south-eastern Kosova, most of the Albanian residents of five villages - Bob, Biçec, Kovaçec, Gjurgjedell and Llanishtë -fled their homes, local LDK sources said.

Thousands of Albanians tried to cross over to the neighbouring Macedonia yesterday, but were turned back by the Serbian forces at the Hani i Elezit border crossing. Some of the families found refuge in the small town of Hani i Elezit itself, whereas the rest were encouraged by the OSCE verification mission to return back home.

An alarming situation has been reported in the villages of Rezhancë and Krivenik, which have been sealed off by Serbian forces, local sources said.

Scores of Serbian armoured and other motorized vehicles have been reported stationed there recently. Because of the Serb forces' concentration near Rahovec and Hoçë e Madhe, the Albanian population of half a dozen villages (Shkozë, Jançift, Maxharrë, Ostrozub, Dragobil, etc.) lives in anxiety, local LDK sources said.

Serb forces have threatened with reprisals over the alleged kidnapping of two Serbs from Hoçë e Madhe village. The residents of Shkozë village spent the night outside their village in fear.

A column of Serbian military police vehicles arrived in Shtime from Ferizaj today morning, local sources said.

Serbian military forces stationed at Pishnajat e Shtimes (the Shtime Pinewood) have been on the move, back and forth to Zborc village.

An UÇK fighter, in his mid-twenties, was found killed at Trakaniç village, municipality of Gjakova, on Sunday morning. He was wearing military fatigues, sources said.

A notorious Albanian collaborationist with the Serbian police, Muharrem Ibraj, killed a local Albanian in Osek Hylë village near Gjakova, LDK sources said. The Albanian, Sylejman M. Bajrami (45), was killed after having had his house surrounded by Serbian forces.

A day earlier, on Saturday evening, an Albanian youth, Albesian Mataj (17), was ambushed and killed near Osek Hylë, local LDK sources said.