Two police officers have sustained serious injuries yesterday after being attacked by a group that was illegally cutting down trees in the village of Stepanci near Veles.

A group of officers were sent to patrol the area when they came upon a group of unauthorized loggers who attacked them. One of the officers sustained a head wound in the incident and the other – a wound on the abdomen. The Interior Ministry announced more details about the incident during the day.

Illegal logging is a big problem in Macedonia, where much of the country relies on wood for heating over winter, making it a big business. In the past, similar incident have happened, including armed logger killer police officers.