Free Serbia-NEWS May 29th, 1999 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit http://www.xs4all.nl/~freeserb/e-index.html May 30, 1999 Free Serbia-NEWS SERBIA STILL IN DARKNESS! NATO forces again bombed numerous power relay stations throughout Serbia. Due to that power supplying system in Serbia is very unstable. Although our alternative way of updating works just fine so far, it is possible that some times site won't be updated. Please check the site frequently, we'll do our best to keep our daily updates. Thank you for understanding! Free Serbia Web Team Saturday, May 29th, 1999. Serbian power network hasn't recovered yet from yesterday attacks when NATO struck again on power network facilities near hydro plant Bajina Basta and thermal plant Drmno. Serbian power authority, EPS, said that Belgrade power supplies will be disrupted for long time. As a result of power shortages, there is also shortage of running water with water supplies down on only 12% of city needs. Several people got killed and many were injured in afternoon attacks on Nis and bridge near Leskovac. In Cuprija, 10 people has been injured and lot of residential buildings destroyed or damaged when missile missed military barracks and struck residential area. NATO used dumb bombs in the attack on Yugoslav 2nd largest city, Novi Sad. Attacks also took place in Kraljevo and Vrsac areas, in region of Herceg Novi and Tivat on Montenegro coastline, as well as on large number of places in Kosovo. Three workers of Australian humanitarian agency CARE has been convicted of espionage and sentenced to 12, 6 and 4 years in prison. Saturday, May 29th, 1999 Last night attack left most of the Serbia in dark NATO air strikes knocked out much of Serbia's electricity network overnight, leaving the capital Belgrade, second largest city in Serbia Novi Sad, Pancevo and many other communities without power. At 03.00 NATO jets hit two thermo-electric plant Drmno, about 100 km east of Belgrade, and the hydro-electric plant near Bajina Basta, some 180 km southwest of the capital, near the border with Bosnia. Electricity supplies to Belgrade were cut off at about 03.15 and to Novi Sad about 10 minutes later. The Serbian power authority, EPS, said "power supply on the territory of the republic was almost completely cut off". By 04.00 priority users in Belgrade had power restored. The latest strikes on Yugoslavia's electricity network came as residents struggled to deal with the effects of Thursday evening raids. Power had been off in much of Belgrade, except for priority users such as hospitals and bakeries, for most of Friday. Even before the latest wave of power station attacks, EPS officials said damage to the system from Thursday night's strikes in the Belgrade area was "much greater than previously thought" and that power supplies would be disrupted "for a long time to come." On Thursday night, besides two power stations, several pylons of the transmission line on the left bank of the Sava river were knocked down. This transmission line brings electricity to consumers in Belgrade and (the northern province of) Vojvodina. This has made the supply in these areas, but also in the whole of the republic, even more difficult. Water supplies have also been disrupted in Belgrade and nearby Pancevo, as well as entire southeast Vojvodina, due to problems with electrical pumping equipment, water company official said. Currently, Belgrade water supply is down to 12% because of electricity problems. Australian aid workers convicted of espionage Presiding Judge Ratko Corlat, reading out the sentences, said Australian Steve Pratt had been sentenced to 12 years in jail. His Yugoslav colleague Branko Jelen was given six years, and another Australian, Peter Wallace, got four years. The three were given three days to appeal. CARE workers were arrested on March 31st and accused of espionage. International observers had been barred from the trial, which began Wednesday. Novi Sad At 00.10 seven loud explosions were heard in Novi Sad. Alliance aircraft fired at least three missiles at the TV building. Almost completely destroyed building in the Sremska Kamenica district was hit for the fourth time. Two missiles struck road near TV building and suburb Ribnjak badly damaging several private homes. Two civilians were reported injured. During the same attack, Iriski Venac on Fruska Gora mountain was hit with several missiles. NATO used "dumb" bombs in this attack. Nis Two loud explosions were heard in Nis at 15.20 when nearby village Camurlije was attacked. Home of Goran Mancic was hit and at least one person was killed. Two persons were wounded and three children were seriously injured and hospitalized in Nis medical center. Cuprija Between 03.15 and 03.40, very center of Cuprija was hit with 2 missiles, targeting military barrack. One missiles struck residential house in Dositeja Obradovica street near hotel "Ravno". Ten people were injured and many houses in center were badly damaged or completely destroyed. Total of 12 missiles hit area of Cuprija during the attack. Eight missiles were fired at Dobricevo village. Kraljevo 4 missiles struck village Ratina near Kraljevo and kraljevo suburb Sovljak (4km from center of town) at 03.30. At 10.00 area of Kraljevo was attacked with four missiles. Ten minutes later military barrack in Kraljevo suburb Jarcujak, as well as residential area Sovljak were hit with several missiles. Seven people were injured in attack. Nearby villages of Ladjevce, Ratina and Katrga were also attacked. As a result of the attack, Kraljevo was left without water and electricity. Vrsac Four explosions were heard at 01.30 in center of Vrsac. One eyewitness said that explosions were heard from south part of city. There were no injured in the attack. We learned that "Pristava" agricultural company was hit, and that many nearby houses were damaged in explosion. Kosovo 18 missiles has destroyed a TV transmitter in Komoran, 20 km west of Kosovo's provincial capital Pristina, on Friday afternoon. Between 18.30 and 19.30 yesterday total of 22 missiles hit area of Kosovska Vitina. Nine bombs struck old graveyard in this municipality, and 13 missiles was fired at area between villages of Kabas and Smira. Five missiles struck the Pristina suburb of Vranjevac at around 21.00. It is reported that a fuel dump was hit. Lebane village near Pristina was hit with two missiles around 07.00. Military barrack "Car Dusan Silni" in Prizren was attacked with 4 missiles at 10.40. One missile slammed into home of Zoran Rajkovic in Skulanovo village, vicinity of Lipljan. Area of Decane was also attacked. Four missiles hit area Zurski Bacilo in Prizren. Vucje Trnje village, municipality of Gora was also hit. One missile struck construction material factory "Miloje Zakic" in Vucitrn. In New York, a U.S.-based relief group, the International Rescue Committee, said on Friday it planned to make daily airdrops of food and other supplies to help some of the 600,000 ethnic Albanians wandering homeless in Kosovo. Other news The Yugoslav Navy said NATO planes hit navy positions around Herceg-Novi and Tivat in Serbia's sister republic of Montenegro on Friday afternoon, firing 10 missiles. No one was injured but military and civilian buildings suffered considerable damage. Markovici village near Kursumlija was attacked at 23.30 with 4 missiles. At 02.00 eight bombs struck area of Belgrade suburb Batajnica and Batajnica airport, when petroleum storage facilities were destroyed. At 02.30 six explosions were heard northeast from Sremska Mitrovica, from direction of Fruska Gora mountain. Airport near Sjenica was attacked with 2 missiles at 03.45. Local radio transmitter tower near Kragujevac was hit with two missiles at 10.14. Bridge over Ibar river near Biljanovac, on Kraljevo-Raska road was attacked at 11.10. Serbian TV transmitter near Priboj was attacked with one missile at 11.15. Visibaba village near Uzice was hit with 7 missiles by 11.30. Krusik factory in Valjevo was attacked at 11.37 with one missile. Djenovac bridge over Jablanica river between Leskovac and Vlasotinci was hit with 3 missiles at 15.20. According to first reports, there were killed and injured people. Vlaski Do near Surdulica was hit with 4 missiles at 15.40. Radio transmitter in Vlackovica near Vranje was attacked at the same time with 4 missiles. 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