Serbia’s war crimes prosecutor has charged nine former paramilitary fighters in the brutal killing of more than 40 civilians during the war in Kosovo.
The prosecutor’s office said that the nine were accused of murder, looting, rape and intimidation, all with an aim of driving ethnic Albanian civilians from their homes.
The May 1999 killings in the western Kosovo village of Cuska were considered among the worst atrocities of the 1998-99 conflict.
The prosecutors said today that “the accused have shown particular brutality, ruthlessness and insensitivity”. They said the victims’ bodies were burnt to prevent identification.
The nine were members of the Sakali, or Jackals, paramilitary unit.
