The Macedonian government declared two days of national mourning after six special police officers were killed and 30 others wounded during a gun battle in the northern town of Kumanovo.<br /><br /> Six special policemen were reported dead and 20 injured in clashes with men believed to be ethnic Albanians, according to local media.<br /><br /> The government declared two days of national mourning after the incident.<br /><br /> It remains unclear what has happened to the armed group, believed to number at least 30, amid reports that most of them have surrendered.<br /><br /> Kumanovo is an ethnically mixed town located about 40 km northeast of the capital Skopje, near the border with Kosovo and Serbia.<br /><br /> The Kumanovo region saw hostilities between ethnic Albanian rebels and government forces during ethnic conflict in 2001.<br /><br /> The rebels were demanding greater rights for the ethnic Albanian minority.<br /><br /> This incident came a day after thousands of opposition supporters joined nationwide protests against alleged police brutality.
