Balkans facing threat of new all-Albanian extremist group
The Balkans are facing a totally fresh all-Albanian underground organization, connected with radical Islamists, capable of triggering wider unrest throughout the unstable region surrounding the internationally administrated Kosovo, a Western security official told KosovoCompromise.com following last week’s clash between Macedonian police and Albanian outlaws in the western part of country.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Monday, November 12, 2007
The newly formed Political-Military Council of the KLA (Organizativ Politiko-Ushtarak te UCK-se), made up of alleged former ethnic Albanian guerrilla fighters, claimed the responsibility for the latest outbreak of violence in western Macedonia, which resulted with eight deaths, a dozen wounded and 13 outlaws captured by Macedonian security forces.
All eight victims of Wednesday's clash between Macedonian police and Albanian outlaws were said to be members of this mysterious organization, which has, meanwhile, rejected all previous peace agreements between former Albanian insurgents and governments in Belgrade and Skopje, including UNSC Resolution 1244 and Ohrid and Konculj peace deals.
The new group, led by former Albanian National Army (AKSh) leader Lirim Jakupi, a.k.a "Commander Nazi", is believed to be a reshuffled unit of AKSh, in apparent attempt to clear their name of negative attribute "terrorist organization" given to this foggy group by the international administration in Kosovo back in 2003.
Jakupi's group was quickly defeated by Macedonian police, but the amount of weapons seized during the "Operation Mountain Storm" could be a clear sign of overall danger that organization poses to stability of the region.
The weapons seized during the operation included three mortars along with 263 mines, two recoilless cannons with 40 rounds of ammunition, a "Fagot" electronically guided armor-penetrating rocket system, two "Osa" rocket launchers with nine missiles, an MGL-6 rocket-launcher, 58 hand grenades, 29 anti-tank mines, 61 anti-infantry mines, four sniper rifles, 10 automatic rifles, four anti-aircraft rocket launchers SA-7 "Strela", 9 "Zolja" rocket-launchers, six RPG's with 132 grenades, 31 explosive charges, 31 trotile charges, two packs of plastic explosive, and other equipment.
Despite the fact that the most of weaponry seized after the deadly police operation could be traced to former Albanian rebel groups in Kosovo and southern Serbia, Western security officials warned of the danger posed by two types of weaponry - "Fagot" anti-tank and "Strela" anti-aircraft missiles.
Both weapons were believed to be acquired trough complicated smuggling networks, which includes Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia. In late 2004, four "Strela" launchers had been seized in Albania, on the way to, at the time, potential hot-spot - the village Kondovo near Skopje held by Albanian outlaws.
The Kondovo group, led by Agim Krasniqi and "Commander Nazi", threatened to shell Skopje's airport, but the crisis was defused after the intervention of one the most influential Albanian guerrilla leaders, former Kosovo premier and war crimes indictee Ramush Haradinaj.
Three years later, Jakupi managed to escape from a prison in Kosovo only to launch a fresh rebellion in western Macedonia, which was crashed by security forces, but controversial "Commander Nazi" fled the battlefield once again.
Criminal charges on grounds of terrorism have been submitted against all 17 members of the group, as well as the four remaining fugitives, thought to be led by Jakupi.
Despite the fact that Macedonian interior ministry at first stated officially that the killed and captured men were mere ‘criminals,' the astonishingly large variety of weapons seized seriously undermined that initial allegation.
Most of all, the latest outbreak of violence raised the question of renewed influence of radical Islamists on Albanian rebel groups, simply because one of the Political-Military Council's top commanders Ramadan Shiti was previously linked with the expanding Wahabi movement, active in western Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbian region of Sandzak and Bosnia.
In addition, at least one more Albanian underground group claimed credit for the latest turmoil in Macedonia - "Balli Kombetar", which stated that Xhavit Morina, who was killed in still unresolved incident two weeks ago, was in a fact member of this organization.
Shiti, who committed suicide during last week's clashes, was described by U.S. intelligence services as an "extremist sponsored by Saudi-based Islamic fundamentalists". The Wahabi movement is currently involved in tensions connected with turmoil in Muslim communities in western Macedonia, Sandzak and Kosovo.
Meanwhile, Xhezair Shaqiri, known as Commander Hoxha, one of Albanian extremist leaders in Macedonia, warned there could be an armed skirmish with the Macedonian police, the Macedonian Sitel television informed.
The members of the former National Liberation Army, an Albanian extremist organization which fought Macedonian security forces in 2001, are reportedly preparing to "square the accounts" with the Interior Ministry's special units.
He did not reveal the exact place, but said "we will wait for the police wherever they come". Hoxha claimed he did not know the people who were shooting against the Macedonian police in the village of Brodec last week.
Commander Hoxha's group has tried several times to trigger incidents. Two weeks ago there were doubts that he was connected with the attack against the Macedonian border police in the village of Tanusevci.
Following the incident in the region of Tetovo he reiterated he would protect the Albanian population.
