Exclusive material of villages infiltrated by Albanian fighters

(18 Jun 2001)

Matejce
1. Wide of village of Matejce

Ethnic Albanian Rebel soldier mountain hideout, near Kumanovo
2. Soldiers firing towards valley
3. Another soldier with weapon
4. Rebel soldier coming out of his hideout and firing
5. Various soldiers with weapons
6. Soldiers patrolling

Matejce
7. Pan from destroyed buildings to dead cow
8. Burnt out house
9. Dead cow
10. Disabled Macedonian army tank believed to contain eight dead soldiers, destroyed in battle to retake village, which Macedonians lost
11. Damaged mosque in Matejce
12. Various interior damaged mosque

Otija
13. Children playing outside unfinished mosque whose basement is holding up to 200 villagers sheltering from the fighting
14. Various women, children and old people in mosque's basement

Mountain hideout
15. Soldiers running
16. Commander arriving in car to visit
17. SOUNDBITE: (Albanian with English) Ismail Murati, Mountain Commander of Ethnic Albanian rebels
"This war started about the rights of Albanians in Macedonia. There is a big damage, they are firing with missiles with poison. They are destroying houses. They are killing civilians."
18. Soldiers patrolling

Matejce
19. SOUNDBITE: (Albanian) Regional Ethnic Albanian rebel commander for villages
"It started in Matejce on the 24th of May and continues until now. The enemy soldiers started attacking and our troops responded and fought back."
20. Soldiers with gun at window
21. Soldier in village

STORYLINE:

Ethnic Albanians are living in cellars and bunkers on the frontline of the fighting between the Macedonian army and ethnic Albanian rebels.

APTN has exclusive pictures from two villages which are in ethnic Albanian hands.

This is the Zejligovo (ZHAY-LEE-GO-VO) Valley in North West Macedonia

Ethnic Albanian rebels say they want equal rights with other Macedonians living here - and they're prepared to fight for them.

The hillsides are honeycombed with their bunkers, the paths that wind through the forests constantly patrolled.

The past weeks had seen fierce fighting until a shaky truce was agreed.

On Thursday, the rebels volunteered to continue their ceasefire while their demands are being considered by the Macedonian government.

But a ceasefire doesn't mean they're willing to lay down their weapons.

Nearby villages have been under constant attack from the Macedonian army, determined to flush the rebels out.

One village, Matejce, is deserted and in ruins, after fighting which started here on May 24.

Dead animals lie in the streets and the mosque is destroyed.

The village had been divided between rebel ethnic Albanians and the Macedonian army.

But the Macedonians, who according to the Albanians, only had three tanks in Matejce, lost their part of the village after a fierce battle.

This was one of their tanks, now in no man's land.

Nobody can reach the tank because of sniper fire from both sides, but the Albanians say eight dead Macedonian soldiers lie inside.

In the neighbouring village of Otija, whole families including women and children are living in fear in bunkers and cellars.

They say they would rather stay than become refugees, asking for help from the Macedonians, whose army has driven them from their homes.

Their fate rests in the hands of the negotiators, now frantically seeking a solution in Skopje.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...