(27 Oct 1998) Eng/Albanian/Nat
Serbian forces appear to be withdrawing from Kosovo in compliance with United Nations resolutions.
As troops leave, hundreds of ethnic Albanian refugees are returning to their homes for the first time in months.
On Tuesday military vehicles were seen being loaded onto trains and Serb personnel were bussed out in convoys of coaches and trucks.
Many previously manned Serb checkpoints now stand empty.
Another convoy of coaches and trucks leaving Pristina.
One of a growing number of convoys seen travelling out of the Kosovar regional capital in compliance with U-N resolutions.
Heavy armoured vehicles are being loaded onto railway wagons.
The pictoral evidence is so far, convincing - President Milosevic is pulling out his troops at the eleventh hour to avoid NATO military actions.
But despite this show of compliance, the vice president of the main ethnic Albanian party in the province has said Milosevic has not kept to his side of the deal and that troops are merely being repositioned - not withdrawn.
SOUNDBITE: (Albanian)
"Conditions have not been fulfilled and will not be fulfilled as there's no sign of retreat so far. What has happened is the repositioning of forces."
SUPER CAPTION: Kole Berisha, Vice President of LDK
As the threat of airstrikes over Kosovo dwindle, ethnic Albanians are beginning to return to their homes.
However there were reports that a handful of Serb police remain in the area, and armed K-L-A members are warning residents to be watchful as they return to their homes.
But many Albanians return to burnt out and damaged shells of bricks and mortar.
In Orlate, this family returned to find their house intact but their belongings strewn across the rooms.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I came to see what they have done. But as you are seeing together with us, everything is destroyed and steeled and there is nothing. It is no condition to live."
SUPER CAPTION: Albanian homeowner
The encouragement to return follows discoveries like this....a previously manned Serb checkpoint, standing empty.
Anti-KLA graffiti adorns the walls, testiment to the buildings' past occupants.
The 16-nation NATO alliance has threatened to launch airstrikes unless Milosevic halts his crackdown and cuts his forces to levels in place before the conflict began.
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Негізгі бет KOSOVO: SERBIAN FORCES WITHDRAWING
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