The US government urged Americans late Tuesday to defer travel to violence-torn Macedonia and authorized non-essential US embassy personnel and family members to leave the country.
"The situation in Macedonia is unsettled and potentially dangerous as a result of armed clashes between Macedonian security forces and ethnic Albanian radicals," the State Department said in a travel warning.
The department advised US citizens in Macedonia to review their personal security situations and, if appropriate, leave the country "due to increased anti-Western sentiment."
Rioting erupted in the Macedonian capital of Skopje after the Macedonian government on Monday allowed rebels to leave the nearby town of Aracinovo under US escort.
The US troops -- 81 soldiers in four armored vehicles -- escorted buses carrying 350 rebels and civilians from Aracinovo to a rebel-controlled village in an attempt to defuse three days of fighting, according to the Pentagon.
The State Department said Macedonian security forces "were unable to control the crowd and were reluctant to provide assistance to people in distress" during the rioting.
It urged Americans, who have chosen to remain in Macedonia, to maintain a high level of vigilance, a low profile and to avoid crowds and demonstrations – WASHINGTON (AFP)
