Macedonia: Policeman killed close to Kosovo border

A Macedonian police officer was shot and killed today by unidentified attackers near Tanusevci. Two other officers were wounded near the village close to the boundary with Kosovo, 25 kilometers north of Skopje, police sources confirmed. Macedonia: Policeman killed close to Kosovo border The policemen were driving in a jeep when a group of gunmen opened fire from automatic weapons. Beta news agency says its sources indicate that attackers "came from outside Macedonia." Police suspect that an armed group led by Dzezir Shaciri, an ethnic Albanian who led a guerilla during the 2001 troubles in that country, has been hiding in the village for months. After the Ohrid Agreement that ended armed conflict between Macedonia's Albanians and its authorities, Shaciri became a deputy for an Albanian party. Still he made threats to the Macedonian police force and government that he would this November call a referendum for the area to secede from Macedonia and join Kosovo. However, the villagers reportedly did not warm to the idea, while Shaciri on several occasions made apparently false reports about shootings and incident in the area, Beta said.

Macedonia: Policeman killed close to Kosovo border

The policemen were driving in a jeep when a group of gunmen opened fire from automatic weapons.

Beta news agency says its sources indicate that attackers "came from outside Macedonia."

Police suspect that an armed group led by Dzezir Shaciri, an ethnic Albanian who led a guerilla during the 2001 troubles in that country, has been hiding in the village for months.

After the Ohrid Agreement that ended armed conflict between Macedonia's Albanians and its authorities, Shaciri became a deputy for an Albanian party. Still he made threats to the Macedonian police force and government that he would this November call a referendum for the area to secede from Macedonia and join Kosovo.

However, the villagers reportedly did not warm to the idea, while Shaciri on several occasions made apparently false reports about shootings and incident in the area, Beta said.