Kosovo celebrates 25th anniversary of the withdrawal of Serbian forces after NATO bombing

By SYLEJMAN KLLOKOQI and LLAZAR SEMINI
Associated Press

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo has celebrated the 25th anniversary of the withdrawal of Serbian forces following a 78-day NATO bombing campaign, which opened the way for its independence nine years later. Ethnic Albanian separatists of the Kosovo Liberation Army fought a 1998-1999 war with Serbian forces in what was then the province of Kosovo. About 13,000 people, mostly ethnic Albanians, died and about 1 million were deported until the NATO bombing resulted in the Serbian withdrawal and the establishment of an international force known as Kosovo Force, or KFOR. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, which Belgrade doesn’t recognize.