Posted on 02/04/2003 10:01:48 PM PST by Destro
AP World Politics
One dead in shooting on Macedonian-Albanian border
Tue Feb 4,10:22 AM ET
SKOPJE, Macedonia - A man who appeared to be an ethnic Albanian smuggler was shot and killed by a Macedonian guard as he attempted to illegally cross into the country, the army said Tuesday.
The shooting occurred late Monday after an army patrol spotted two men who had crossed into the country illegally from Albania in the border area near Debar, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) southwest of Skopje.
According to an army statement, the men were ordered to stop but instead tried to run away from the border guards. The guards then opened fire, killing one of the men. The other man managed to escape.
The Macedonian army statement failed to either identify the man or provide any further details. Local reporters, however, have identified the man as an ethnic Albanian smuggler from Debar.
Macedonia's volatile border with Albania has been a major smuggling route for years.
During a six-month conflict in 2001, some of the weapons destined for the ethnic Albanian insurgents battling government troops were smuggled over that border.
The situation, however, has largely improved since a Western-brokered peace deal ended the hostilities.
(kt/jg/vg)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.