Macedonian Information Agency (Oct 20, 2002) (MIA)  SKOPJE, Macedonia - Mafia-style reign of terror in Tetovo – to nobody's surprise, considering who really rules the area. Criminal suspects who tried to kill police officers of a regular patrol got hit by return fire. A bit later, "unknown perpetrators" machine-gunned some Macedonian kids playing street basketball, killing Vancho Josifovski (18).

Hey, even the 15th century Albanian code of Lek Dukagjini, which regulates the "blood revenge" in the backward Gheg hinterlands, does not sanction such Nazi-style reprisals.

Skopje, October 19 (MIA) - Fire was opened Saturday evening at 18.20h from "Opel Ascona" car with Swiss licensing plates on group of Macedonian children playing basketball near "Vidoe Smilevski - Bato" boulevard in Tetovo, Interior Ministry spokesman Voislav Zafirovski told MIA.

According to Zafirovski, one of the children died and two injured were admitted in Tetovo hospital, where they received medical assistance.

Skopje, October 19 (MIA) - One man was killed and another injured around 21.25 Friday night in an armed shootout near the old city stadium in Tetovo between police patrol and moving vehicle, without licensing plates.

Interior Ministry's spokesman Voislav Zafirovski told MIA that the incident happened when the highway patrol tried to stop the vehicle. However, the driver increased the speed and tried to hit the police officer.

Persons in the car also opened on the police officers, who fired back.

Later that night, Tetovo Medical Center reported that two persons Madin Adili (1981) and Mensur Ramadani (1981) were admitted in the hospital at 21.45h suffering from bullet injuries. Adili died from the serious chest injuries.

According to the police, Irzvan Nuhiu (19) and Ibrahim Nuhiu (21) were also in the car. The four persons were from Tetovo settlement of Drenovec 2.

The police along with the judiciary institutions and OSCE team are investigating the case.

Tetovo police department also informed that Jetmir Jonuzi (1974) from Mala Recica was injured at 19.30h Friday night. He received bullet injuries while walking near the livestock market in Mala Recica. Jonuzi has undergone a surgery and was kept in the hospital for further treatment.

Frequent shootings were heard overnight in Tetovo region. Fire was opened from Neraste, Dolno Orasje, Odri, Lisec, Gajre, Mala Recica, Slatino, Tearce, Prsovce, Ozormiste, Zerovjane and Sinicane villages, Vonvardarska, Gorna Carsija and Kupenik settlements, Kuzman Josifovski Pitu military barracks, warehouses of the Red Cross and Makpetrol, Textile School "Goce Stojcevski," Elementary School "SS. Kiril and Metodij" and larger residential complexes.