A memorial to five Macedonian soldiers, who were killed in 2001 in the village of Gajre near Tetovo, was destroyed recently. The plaque was placed at the site of the NLA/UCK ambush just two weeks ago.

The desecration of the memorials of our fallen veterans continues. The state has an obligation to protect these memorials. The patience of our veterans and their families and the citizens in general is wearing thin, said Marin Najdov from the veteran’s association.

The killed were Isak rufati from the village of Odri near Tetovo, Vlatko Milenkovski and Blagojce Siljanov (both from Bitola), Pece Maticevski from Novaci and Koljo Kitanov from Saraj near Strumica.

Gajre is in a heavily Albanian part of the country, where much of the fighting in the 2001 civil war took place, and memorials to Macedonian soldiers and police officers are routinelly destroyed in this part of the country.