KOSOVO/YUGOSLAVIA: SERB TROOPS PASS THROUGH CHECKPOINT

Описание: (14 Jun 1999) Natural Sound

The largest force of Serbian troops to withdraw from Kosovo so far, passed the checkpoint manned by U-S troops at Gnjilane on Monday.

The Serbian withdrawal from Kosovo continues at pace, with U-S marines supervising scores of Serbian tanks passing through a checkpoint on their way back to their home bases.

With their headquarters in the northern Kosovan town of Gnjilane now operational, the marines were out in force on Monday, monitoring the continuing Serbian withdrawal from the province.

The mood was sombre and professional -- both sides seemed determined to get the evacuation over and done with as soon as possible.

Inside were Serb fighters with all their rations, rifles, machine guns and rocket launchers, heading out of Kosovo and back over the border into Serbia.

The remaining troops - of a 40-thousand member contingent in Kosovo when the peace agreement was reached -- and all Serb paramilitaries are to leave Kosovo by June 20.

This area near the Serbian border is in the US-designated sector for NATO's K-FOR peacekeeping force.

The Marines, used to being first into action, followed the British, French, Germans and Italians who started moving into Serbia on Saturday.

And all the time, U-S army Apaches and U-S Marine Corps Cobras constantly shadowed the convoy -- just in case.

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