SKOPJE, June 7 (Hina) - The situation in Macedonia was relatively calm on Thursday following Tuesday's killing of five Macedonian soldiers and the unrest in the wake of their death in the town of Bitola where ethnic Albanians' houses
and shops were demolished and set on fire so that many local Albanians began to flee the town. In Wednesday evening's unrest about 40 houses and other facilities were set on fire and devastated, four persons were injured and five arrested, the police reported. In Bitola three of the five killed soldiers were buried, and Thursday was proclaimed to be a day of mourning there. Other two soldiers were interred in Strumica and Gostivar. A spokesman for the Defence Ministry, Georgi Trendafilov, said no shooting had been reported on Sar Planina Mount in the last 24 hours. He, however, added that the Albanian extremists were occupying some villages and a part of a road toward Mount Popova Sapka. In the area
SKOPJE, June 7 (Hina) - The situation in Macedonia was relatively
calm on Thursday following Tuesday's killing of five Macedonian
soldiers and the unrest in the wake of their death in the town of
Bitola where ethnic Albanians' houses and shops were demolished and
set on fire so that many local Albanians began to flee the town.
In Wednesday evening's unrest about 40 houses and other facilities
were set on fire and devastated, four persons were injured and five
arrested, the police reported.
In Bitola three of the five killed soldiers were buried, and
Thursday was proclaimed to be a day of mourning there. Other two
soldiers were interred in Strumica and Gostivar.
A spokesman for the Defence Ministry, Georgi Trendafilov, said no
shooting had been reported on Sar Planina Mount in the last 24
hours.
He, however, added that the Albanian extremists were occupying some
villages and a part of a road toward Mount Popova Sapka.
In the area of Kumanovo sporadic clashes continued overnight and on
Thursday morning, and Albanian terrorists regrouped and
transferred arms in vehicles, the spokesman said.
After Macedonian Premier Ljupco Georgievski asked for the
declaration of state of war, the United States and Javier Solana
recommended that it should not be done. In Macedonia, political
parties and the public are advocating more resolute encounter of
the Macedonian security forces with Albanian extremists, but at the
same time they are opposing the declaration of state of war.
(hina) sb ms