MACEDONIA: Macedonia faced its most serious security crisis for more than a year yesterday, when ethnic Albanians clashed with security forces on the border with Kosovo in fighting that left several gunmen dead.
Macedonian police said a routine border patrol came under fire yesterday morning from suspected Albanian militants. The troops called for support and police then launched an operation to take control of two villages, Brest and Malina Mala.
A number of armed Albanian militants were killed, police said. There were no casualties among security forces, though clashes were continuing last night.
The incident is one of the most serious to have taken place since the 2001 conflict between the ethnic Albanian movement, the National Liberation Army and the security forces. The NLA was then disarmed and the ethnic Albanians were promised increased rights.
(- Guardian Service)
