Albanian army officer killed in shell explosion, farmer injured seriously

TIRANA, Nov. 18 – An Albanian army officer was killed on Saturday while defusing a shell at a military base in southeastern Albania, police said. Sadik Basha was killed instantly when the shell he was dismantling exploded suddenly at a military base in Voskopoja, Korca, some 200 kilometers southeastern of Tirana. He was in the process of destroying shells collected from all around the country. The explosion occurred in front of the eyes of some of his colleagues who escaped from any injury. The Albanian army is destroying all of its anti-personnel mines and shells as part of a program to scrap excess weaponry by 2010. it aims at becoming a full NATO member by 2008.
In another incident Monday Filip Jani, a 60 year old resident in Lukove, Saranda district, suffered serious injuries after the explosion of a shell remained from World War II in his courtyard. Jani was injured while he was trying to take off the explosive from the shell he was keeping in the yard. It was not learnt what kind of shell or to which army it belonged. The shell was preserved for about 60 years at the place. Jani’s neighbors took him to the hospital, which said the injuries were not life threatening but that he would remain handicapped.