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In early 1998 large-scale fighting broke out in Kosovo, formerly an autonomous region within Serbia, between the Serbian government and Kosovar Albanians seeking independence. Although a ceasefire was agreed in October 1998 to allow refugees to find shelter and a European verification mission was deployed, violence continued. A peace conference, held in Paris, broke up on 19 March 1999 with the refusal of the Serbian delegation to accept the proposed settlement. On 24 March, NATO forces led by Britain and the United States began air attacks on Serbia - transforming NATO from a defensive to an offensive alliance.
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