SKOPLJE, June 11 (Hina) - Macedonian forces stopped shelling Albanian guerrilla positions in the Kumanovo area on Monday noon in order to enable civilians who remained in the area to evacuate, a source close to the Macedonian
government said. Macedonian army positions in the villages of Matejce and Nikustak in the Kumanovo area came under attack on the night between Sunday and Monday and on Monday morning. The Macedonian army returned fire and continued mine-sweeping activities around the villages of Slupcane and Orizare. Numerous explosive devices and blocks are hampering the progress of Macedonian forces and they are not expected to launch any operations aimed at taking Lipkovsko Lake during the day, the Macedonian army spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Blagoja Markovski, said. Macedonian Radio reported that Macedonian forces were this morning ordered to stop military activities. During
SKOPLJE, June 11 (Hina) - Macedonian forces stopped shelling
Albanian guerrilla positions in the Kumanovo area on Monday noon in
order to enable civilians who remained in the area to evacuate, a
source close to the Macedonian government said.
Macedonian army positions in the villages of Matejce and Nikustak
in the Kumanovo area came under attack on the night between Sunday
and Monday and on Monday morning. The Macedonian army returned fire
and continued mine-sweeping activities around the villages of
Slupcane and Orizare.
Numerous explosive devices and blocks are hampering the progress of
Macedonian forces and they are not expected to launch any
operations aimed at taking Lipkovsko Lake during the day, the
Macedonian army spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Blagoja Markovski,
said.
Macedonian Radio reported that Macedonian forces were this morning
ordered to stop military activities.
During the morning, the army launched fierce attacks on villages in
northern Macedonia which are held by the Albanian guerrilla,
despite their threats that they would shell the Skoplje airport.
The fighting slightly subsidised this morning.
Several airline companies on Monday cancelled flights to and from
Skoplje for security reasons. Flights were also cancelled by the
Swissair company, which redirected its flights to Ohrid.
The Albanian extremists said they would shell the Skoplje airport
in retaliation for the bombing of the villages.
Skoplje airport director Zoran Ilievski said British Airways
cancelled its flight to Skoplje and Greece's Olympic Airways said
the plane scheduled to fly from Athens to Skoplje around Monday noon
would not take off due to "measures of precaution."
(hina) rml