GREEK TROOPS INVADE ALBANIA

Chronicle (Levin), 11 August 1949, Page 5

GREEK TROOPS INVADE ALBANIA

(N.Z.P.A.-

-Reuter

Claim Made By Albanian Government

Clashes Admitted But No Violation

. Gopyright)

1 Received Thursday, 10.45 a.m. 1 . LONDON, August 10. - The official Albanian radio today announced that Greek troops had invaded Albania and that fighting was progressing along a 30-mile front.

A broadcast by Tirana radio said that bloody clashes with Greek Government troops began four days ago. It declared that hundreds of Greek soldiers had been killed or taken prisoner. In Athens, however, the -Greek General Staff -denied that Greek Army forces had invaded Albania. Greek circles in London place no eredence on the Tirana radio report. A spokesman said that thete had been a big action in the Mount Gammos area, which is near the Albanian frontier, for the last four or five days, but certainly no invasion of Albania.

The Albanian Government said it would bring the Green violation of Albania's border before the United Nations. The Albanian Government claimed that Greek Army aircraft and artillery had bombed, shelled and straffed hundreds of Albanian's on a 30-mile front between Leskovac and Bozhigrad, just inside the Albanian border. Tirana radio alleged that Green Government artillery fired about ■1000 shells into Albania in five hours late today and wounded two 'Albanian soldiers. It added that two Green plans earlier flew over Albanian territory and one of them dropped bombs near a village.