Ethnic Albanians Flee Tank Fire

VELIKA RIBORA, Yugoslavia — Hundreds of new refugees fled Serbian tank fire Monday as the government drive to snuff out separatist rebels drew closer to Pristina, Kosovo’s provincial capital.

Dirt roads south of Pristina were dotted with tractors or horses pulling trailers full of ethnic Albanian women and children trying to find safety from the newest assault.

Smoke from burning villages billowed into the azure sky, and the boom of explosions mingled with the crowing of roosters.

The latest Serbian offensive began late Sunday. The shelling extended along a 10- to 20-mile front southwest of Pristina.

In Velika Ribora, women with children were holed up in a mosque. A nearby two-room house was crowded with more than 40 refugees. Residents said more than 1,000 refugees had arrived since the shelling began Sunday. Humanitarian agencies estimate about 50,000 Kosovo refugees are trying to survive in the open.