SEVERE FIGHTING IN TETOVO STREETS, VIOLENT PROTESTS IN SKOPJE

TETOVO/SKOPJE, July 24 (Hina) - Severe clashes between Macedonian forces and Albanian rebels rocked Tetovo on Tuesday evening. Citizens reported sniper shooting in the downtown Tetovo, and detonations echoed in the entire area. A column of smoke was rising from the local military barracks which were hit during the clashes. Fighting was underway in the nearby village of Drenovac. On Tuesday Macedonia's President Boris Trajkovski held talks with NATO's envoy in the Balkans, Pieter Feith, who also met a leader of the Albanian armed units (ONA), Ali Ahmeti, in Kosovo. Feith arrived in the area to try help calm the situation. On Tuesday also, groups of Macedonian protesters attacked offices of international organisation in Skopje, chanting anti-West slogans and blaming foreign envoys for backing Albanian guerrillas. Furious men smashed windows of the German embassy and a McDonald's restaurant. After that they put on fire three vehicles and devastated another few cars in front of the OSCE office. Almost 200 young nationalists joined farmers who were holding a rally in front of the Macedonian parliament's building protesting over their eviction from their homes by Albanian insurgents. Minimum police forces could only helplessly watch what was going on. (hina) ms