Fresh Albanian Militant Grouping Located In Macedonia

A fresh, 300-strong grouping of Albanian militants has been encountered in Macedonia in the vicinity of the Yugoslav and Albanian border. The militants appear to be well armed and wear the uniform of the Kosovo Liberation Army, a faction officially disbanded two years ago. The militants have refrained from any action, but Skopje sources believe they may prove terrorists who will take up arms again in case Macedonia's parliament fails to approve constitutional amendments granting more rights to the country's Albanian community. The amendments are part of last summer's NATO-brokered peace deal with Albanian separatists. Policymakers in Skopje fear, too, that the remaining Albanian rebels in northern and western Macedonia could join the fresh militants. The country's president and cabinet have both decreed an amnesty granted to them, but the militants insist the amnesty be enshrined in a separate law.