NATO soldiers are today set to collect hundreds more weapons from ethnic Albanian rebels in Macedonia after an initial day's haul of over 400.
Officers from the 4,500-strong Task Force Harvest voiced satisfaction at the first day of collecting weapons that the rebels are surrendering as part of a peace plan meant to give greater rights to Macedonia's ethnic Albanian minority.
NATO hopes to have gathered a third of its total target of 3,300 weapons in "Operation Essential Harvest" by Wednesday.
It has vowed not to be deterred by the death yesterday of a British soldier killed after his car was hit by a chunk of concrete thrown by youths.
But several senior Macedonian politicians have said they believe the operation is a charade and that NATO's target figure is nothing like the full number of weapons held by the rebels, who began their uprising in February this year.
Feelings may run high today as a group of Macedonians plan an Assumption Day visit to a monastery in the northwestern village of Lesok, where a church on one of the country's most revered Orthodox Christian sites was blown up last week.
The site is close to rebel-held territory, but rebel leaders deny they were responsible for the blast.
In another potential flashpoint, Macedonians displaced by the conflict are reported to be planning a rally in the capital Skopje on Thursday night - the eve of a parliament session meant to begin talks on the political parts of the peace plan.