The Albanians say the security forces attacked several villages in the west of the province.

For its part, the Yugoslav army - which is trying to put down the Albanian separatist insurrection - said that three of its soldiers were killed in a mortar attack at a border post in the same region.

The latest outbreak of violence came as the ethnic Albanian leader, Ibrahim Rugova pursued talks with officials in Washington, including the Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

President Bill Clinton has urged Kosovo Albanians to continue their peace talks with Serbia.

During a meeting with Mr Rugova on Friday, Mr Clinton also said America's current diplomatic efforts were the best way to stop the conflict in Kosovo from escalating.

But after the meeting Mr Rugova said he had called for urgent American intervention in the province. He also stated that the best solution for Kosovo would be independence, which the United States does not support.

Ongoing fighting

The most recent deaths are the culmination of a week of sporadic fighting in various parts of the province.

According to Albanian sources, Serbian police have launched attacks on targets in five villages some 25 kilometres south-west of Pristina, the capital of the Serbian province.

Further fighting was also reported between security forces and ethnic Albanian separatists in the town of Decani, near the border with Albania.

The area has been sealed off, but correspondents say that if the fighting intensifies, it could derail peace talks between the Serbian Government and .