Man killed in western Macedonia

A man was found shot dead Thursday on the road near Tetovo, in western Macedonia, local police said. The body of a man, aged around 30, with several gunshot wounds, was found lying on the road near the village of Odri. Man killed in western Macedonia He appeared to have been dragged onto the road from the village. A local inhabitant told Balkan Insight that he heard shots fired during the night near the mosque in the village. The dead man has not been identified. Local police sources think the motives for the murder were criminal. Although it seems unrelated, the killing comes amid concerns over reports of the appearance of groups of armed men in north–western Macedonia recently. They have been stopping cars and asking people for their IDs. On Wednesday night Croatian state TV aired footage of armed men in uniforms, filmed in the northern Kumanovo area, next to what appears to be Lipkovo lake - a hotspot during the conflict in 2001. One of them said they had "no other option" but to take up guns, “as this government has launched a tough offensive against the [the ethnic Albanian] former National Liberation Army, NLA". The footage, reportedly filmed by the guerrillas themselves, carried by Macedonian A1 TV, showed the group armed with rocket propelled grenade launchers, long-range sniper rifles, heavy machine guns and assault rifles. They were wearing black uniforms with the NLA’s insignia, one holding a recent edition of the local Albanian-language daily, Fakti. The first reports of armed men patrols in the Tetovo area, on the road to Brodec and Sipkovica - a stronghold of ethnic Albanian guerrillas during the 2001 insurgency – came a few weeks ago. Similar patrols have been spotted near Dobroste, on the Poroj-Jazince road, north of Tetovo. Police have dismissed reports that any armed groups are operating in Macedonia, and have said that some of the patrols reported on the Poroj–Jazince road were, in fact, conducted by special police forces in civilian clothes. The security situation in Macedonia is stable and there are no indications of serious threats, the country’s Security Council announced after its meeting on Wednesday. However, in a statement released after the consultations, the Security Council called on the police to “stay vigilant” and “not to underestimate the criminal groups” operating in the country.

Man killed in western Macedonia

He appeared to have been dragged onto the road from the village.

A local inhabitant told Balkan Insight that he heard shots fired during the night near the mosque in the village.

The dead man has not been identified. Local police sources think the motives for the murder were criminal.

Although it seems unrelated, the killing comes amid concerns over reports of the appearance of groups of armed men in north–western Macedonia recently.

They have been stopping cars and asking people for their IDs.

On Wednesday night Croatian state TV aired footage of armed men in uniforms, filmed in the northern Kumanovo area, next to what appears to be Lipkovo lake - a hotspot during the conflict in 2001.

One of them said they had "no other option" but to take up guns, “as this government has launched a tough offensive against the [the ethnic Albanian] former National Liberation Army, NLA".

The footage, reportedly filmed by the guerrillas themselves, carried by Macedonian A1 TV, showed the group armed with rocket propelled grenade launchers, long-range sniper rifles, heavy machine guns and assault rifles.

They were wearing black uniforms with the NLA’s insignia, one holding a recent edition of the local Albanian-language daily, Fakti.

The first reports of armed men patrols in the Tetovo area, on the road to Brodec and Sipkovica - a stronghold of ethnic Albanian guerrillas during the 2001 insurgency – came a few weeks ago.

Similar patrols have been spotted near Dobroste, on the Poroj-Jazince road, north of Tetovo.

Police have dismissed reports that any armed groups are operating in Macedonia, and have said that some of the patrols reported on the Poroj–Jazince road were, in fact, conducted by special police forces in civilian clothes.

The security situation in Macedonia is stable and there are no indications of serious threats, the country’s Security Council announced after its meeting on Wednesday.

However, in a statement released after the consultations, the Security Council called on the police to “stay vigilant” and “not to underestimate the criminal groups” operating in the country.