Guerrilla Commander Agrees to Disband Group

The commander of ethnic Albanian guerrillas in the Presevo Valley area of southern Serbia signed an agreement pledging that his group would disband by the end of the month.

The NATO-brokered deal was a key step in reducing the risk of bloodshed when Yugoslav forces return Thursday to an area of a buffer zone around Kosovo currently held by the rebels. Kosovo is a U.N.-administered province of Serbia, Yugoslavia’s dominant republic.

It remains to be seen, however, whether all members of the group would respect the deal signed by commander Shefket Musliu. One rebel leader who has vowed to fight on was not seen at the meeting where details of the pact were hammered out.