Terrorist ANA group forms paramilitary unit in Macedonia
Several days after the broadcast of the footage showing members of the Albanian National Army (ANA) patrolling in northern Kosovo, the Albanian National Union Front, headed by Gafur Adili, has announced through an Internet statement that an ANA brigade dubbed “Tahir Sinani” had been formed in Macedonia.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Monday, October 08, 2007
An ex-leader of the Albanian guerilla movement put, however, in question its existence.
The "Tahir Sinani" unit would perform the function of a second ANA division and its area of action would be the Vardar valley, an internet statement from the organization said. The paramilitary unit was named after Tahir Sinani, a colonel in the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), who died some years ago in mysterious circumstances.
One of the former leaders of the Albanian guerilla movement in Macedonia, Xhezair Shaqiri, also known as "Commander Hoxha", said however he believed that Adili was an Internet fighter only.
Meanwhile, Macedonian TV announced on Sunday that 74 shells and mine-throwers have been found close to the border with Albania in the village of Vrbjane, 10 km away from Gostivar.
The arms was found in the area which during the conflict in Macedonia in 2001 was within the responsibilities of the "116th brigade" of the Albanian guerilla movement.
Nevzat Bejta, current mayor of Gostivar, was its member.
Members of ANA, known also as AKSh in Albanian, have appeared sporadically in Kosovo after the conflict ended in 1999. They have taken responsibility for several bombing incidents in Kosovo since then. The UN has banned the group and declared it "terrorist".
Through press statements ANA has also threatened with attacks and all out war in Macedonia demanding unification of Albanians from Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania.
