Tirana worried about deadly Macedonia raid on Albanians

TIRANA, Nov 8, 2007 (AFP) – Albania voiced concern Thursday over a massive Macedonian police operation that claimed eight lives in an Albanian-populated region of the former Yugoslav republic. “The Albanian ministry of foreign affairs is deeply anxious about incidents in Macedonia because the stability of that country is very important for the entire Balkan region,” said ministry spokesman Sonila Vathi. “Albania is following with great attention the situation in Macedonia and is calling on all parties concerned to keep cool heads and restrain themselves,” said Vathi. “We condemn any effort and any act of destabilisation while asking Macedonian authorities to avoid any intimidation, any pressure or violence towards the inhabitants of the area.”
On Wednesday, elite Macedonian police supported by helicopters killed at least eight heavily armed “criminals” in a raid on a mountain hideout of a group of Kosovo prison escapees. The area, near the western town of Tetovo, is an ethnic Albanian stronghold where tensions remain high six years after an uprising by extremists from the same ethnic group.
The operation was intended to capture seven ethnic Albanians who broke out of Kosovo’s Dubrava prison in August.
The seven fugitives had been hiding in Macedonia, close to the border with Kosovo, a UN-run province of Serbia whose ethnic Albanian majority is seeking independence. Macedonia says it feared the escapees were extremists who were trying to destabilise the region amid deadlock in international community-led talks on Kosovo’s future status.