Macedonian police launch major operation against international armed group

Macedonian police launched a major operation in the northern town of Kumanovo early Saturday to disarm and detain members of an international armed group that has reportedly entered Macedonia from neighboring Kosovo, local news media reports said.

At least 12 policemen were injured in the operation and have been transferred to hospitals in Kumanovo and the capital city of Skopje, according to initial reports. So far, there have been no reports on any casualty on the part of the armed group.

The spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, Ivo Kotevski, confirmed to local media that there is an ongoing operation that started at 04:00 a.m.(0200GMT) Saturday, but will not give more details while the operation is still underway.

Citizens of Kumanovo said they heard intense gunshots and helicopter overflying the town since early in the morning and police presence has increased on all key points in the city.

An armed group forcefully took over the police station in the border village of Goshince in the region of Kumanovo on April 21, stealing the arms and threatening the police officers on duty.

The attackers presented themselves as members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK), declaring that they demand forming an independent state. Police have identified some of the attackers as a group that came from neighboring Kosovo.

The Kosovo Foreign Affairs Ministry has condemned the attack on the police station in Macedonia immediately afterward, stressing that the attackers do not enjoy the support of the Kosovo authorities. Endi