Aftermath of fighting in Aracinovo

Описание: (27 Jun 2001)

1. Tracking shot driving into Aracinovo
2. Army APCs driving past
3. Damaged town sign lying beside road
4. Tilt up showing debris littering road
5. Various of damage to buildings and houses
6. Macedonian troops standing by APC
7. Soldier on walkie-talkie
8. More of damage to houses
9. Soldier pointing gun
10. Close up of same
11. Macedonian APC
12. Soldier running up street
13. Soldiers crossing burnt field
14. Damaged shops
15. SOUNDBITE: (Albanian) Albanian man in the village
"There were 6 UCK soldiers in the village that were killed by the Macedonian troops. There were 150-160 civilians but none was injured."
16. Masked soldier running with Albanian flag
17. Masked soldier running
18. Macedonian police vehicle arriving
19. Close up masked Macedonian soldier, pull back to wide with gun of APC
20. Macedonian soldier walking with Albanian flag
21. Albanian flag held up alongside US flag
22. Cutaway of damaged house
23. Soldier giving water to Albanian villager
24. Cutaway mortar casing on the ground
25. Destroyed rebel sandbag bunker
26. Pan from tunnel dug under wall to house on other side of wall
27. SOUNDBITE: (Macedonian) Ejube Boskovski, Interior Minister
"We suspect that there are some laboratories here for drugs. The most important thing is that we move into the village. We are searching the houses and we can say that we fulfilled our promises to the international community and the public."
28. Government convoy driving past

STORYLINE:

The heavy fighting that has consumed Aracinovo, and other towns and villages across northern Macedonia, has left streets strewn with debris and buildings close to collapse.

On Wednesday, days after U-S soldiers serving with the NATO-led force in Macedonia escorted Albanian rebels away from their positions in Aracinovo, Macedonian police and army units moved in.

They were accompanied by government officials inspecting the damage.

Also on Wednesday, the Macedonian army reported exchanges of gunfire along the border with the Yugoslav province of Kosovo.

Macedonian forces and rebels clashed outside of the second-largest city, Tetovo, and a handful of villages in the north.

Gunfire was also exchanged in Nikustak, the village just 10 kilometres (six miles) from Aracinovo where the NATO-escorted rebels were released.

The continuing attacks and unrest are hampering peace efforts by President Boris Trajkovski, who wants broad support for the government's fight against ethnic Albanian insurgents.

The president said demonstrations on Monday in protest at the escorted removal of the rebels from Aracinovo could have brought the country to civil war and pledged to regain control of rebel-held territory within Macedonia's borders.

Strong anti-NATO sentiment during Monday's demonstrations has also prompted the United States and two European countries to warn their citizens against travel to Macedonia.

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