Ethnic Albanian refugees flee fighting in Vaksince.

(25 May 2001)

Vaksince
1. Macedonian attack helicopters shooting missiles on Vaksince
2. Missiles fired at village
3. Close up of attack
4. Choppers firing missiles

Tapanovce
5. Wide of refugees on road
6. Close up people walking down hill
7. Macedonian police escort refugees
8. Wide of refugees passing Macedonian APC
9. Macedonian forces separating men from women and children
10. Close up refugees
11. Crowd sitting on the grass
12. Woman faints
13. Close up fainted woman
14. Women and children crying
15. Medical aid given to refugees
16. Doctor gives injection to refugee
17. Wide of refugees sitting near armoured personnel carrier and Macedonian troops
18. SOUNDBITE: (Macedonian) Refugee Vox Pop
"We decided after the last helicopter attack at around midday that we would raise the white flag and send over our civilians to to the Macedonian police. These were the heaviest attacks so far. It was a really difficult time for us."
19. Refugees being treated by doctors
20. SOUNDBITE: (Macedonia) Refugee Vox pop
"We came out from the basement and saw our village completely destroyed. The whole area was completely destroyed. Everything ruined."
21. Wide of refugees

STORYLINE:

About one-thousand ethnic Albanians from Vaksince, 90 percent of the population, fled their homes on Friday after Macedonian helicopter gunships
pounded the village with missiles.

Escorted by Macedonian troops and police, the villagers in this rebel stronghold "displayed the white flag" turned themselves in, hoping to be taken to safety.

In nearby Tapanovce, Macedonian police began separating the men from the women and children in order to investigate whether any men had been fighting on the side of the insurgents.

The men will undergo the "Paraffin glove" test, to determine if they have fired firearms in the last 48 hours.

Other refugees, arriving tired and exhausted, were given medical treatment.

Macedonian troops have now moved into Vaksince. Government officials denied reports of dozens of civilians killed but said ethnic Albanian insurgents suffered heavy casualties.

The move on Vaksince was part of a major government offensive unleashed Thursday meant to push the rebels out of a string of highland villages close to Macedonia's border with Kosovo.

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