Albanian group claims responsibility for attack on govt. HQ

Source: RTS

A group calling itself the National Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for Saturday's explosion in front of the Macedonian government HQ in Skopje.

This has been reported by the Albanian language, Pristina-based daily Koha Ditore.
Serbia's state broadcaster RTS carried the report and said the Macedonian police "offered no comment for the time being."

The group bears the same name as the ethnic Albanian "guerrillas from the 2001 war (in Macedonia)," and has twice in the past two months claimed responsibility for attacks on the government building in Skopje, which did not result in injuries or significant damage.

According to these reports, the National Liberation Army's statement was signed by "the previously unknown Commander Kushtrimi"

A total of three missiles have been fired at the seat of the Macedonian government during the two incidents. The police said both attacks "came from the same direction."

The National Liberation Army, headed by Ali Ahmeti and Gzim Ostreni, was disbanded according to the Ohrid Agreement of 2001, a deal thanks to which "Macedonia stepped back from the brink of civil war."

Ever since, "phantom Albanian guerrilla organizations crop up periodically," and take responsibility for "not excessively frequent" incidents.

The Albanian National Army is, according to the report, the best-known such group. In 2007 they clashed with Macedonian security forces on Mt. Sara, when seven members of the ethnic Albanian group were killed and weapons "sufficient to equip a 500-men unit" seized.