8 Police and 14 'Armed Individuals' Killed in Macedonia Clashes

In severe clashes that have been ongoing for two days in a predominantly Albanian area in Macedonia, at least 8 police officers have been killed and dozens more injured. According to officials in the country, 14 members of an 'armed group,' which some have labeled as a 'terrorist group,' have also been killed. The Kumanovo area, where the clashes have occurred, is located 40 kilometers from Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, and special police operations have been underway since Saturday. This marginalized area also witnessed heavy clashes in 2001, which had ethnic roots involving ethnic Albanians in Macedonia. The clashes on May 8 and 9 have reportedly injured 37 police forces, according to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior of Macedonia. According to Reuters, Ivo Kotevski, a government official, stated that the clashes have 'not left any civilian casualties.' The French news agency quoted a police spokesperson as saying that 14 bodies of individuals wearing 'military uniforms' from the group labeled as 'terrorist' have been found. The Macedonian government has convened an emergency meeting and declared two days of national mourning for the police officers killed. The government has also invited opposition parties and leaders of ethnic Albanians to attend the meeting. Reports indicate that Kumanovo is currently under siege by special police forces. On Saturday, it was announced that police operations began after receiving information about a group that reportedly entered Macedonia from 'a neighboring country.' Reuters states that these recent events will increase concerns among Western leaders regarding stability in this Balkan country, where the government is under pressure due to ongoing accusations from its main opposition party, the Social Democrats, regarding illegal surveillance and 'abuse of power.' Last week, clashes occurred between protesters against the conservative government of Nikola Gruevski and the police. Opposition parties have threatened to hold a large protest on May 17 (next week). There are concerns that crises with ethnic backgrounds may be used by political leaders in the country as leverage.