By Robert Burns
The Associated Press
W A S H I N G T O N, June 23 — U.S. Marines manning a checkpoint in
Kosovo came under fire today from unidentified assailants and then returned
fire, killing two people, the commander of U.S. forces in Kosovo said.
No Marines were injured, Army Brig. Gen. John
Craddock said in an interview from his Kosovo headquarters with reporters
at the Pentagon. He said the confrontation began about noon EDT and was
continuing.
Craddock said he had not yet learned whether
the two killed were military or civilians or whether they were Serbs or
ethnic Albanians.
Craddock said a group of 20 to 30 Marines
were at one of their checkpoints near the village of Zegra, south of Gnjilane
where the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit is making its Kosovo headquarters,
when they came under fire from assailants hidden in a building.
Assailants Surrounded
The Marines returned fire, killing two, Craddock said. An estimated
five or six other assailants remained in the building and were surrounded
by the Marines, who were urging the gunmen to surrender.
U.S. attack helicopters also were called in,
Craddock said.
The incident marked the second time U.S. forces
have come under fire during their peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. Craddock
said the first case was Monday night when soldiers from the 82nd Airborne
Division, operating near the city of Urosevac, were fired upon but
not injured.
Craddock said he remained concerned about
“rogue elements” in Kosovo, both among Serbs and the ethnic Albanians,
who may refuse to accept the terms of the peace settlement in Kosovo.
