Macedonian army 'closes on rebels'

The army has been ordered to occupy the border

The Macedonian security forces have been carrying out what they call the final operation to dislodge ethnic-Albanian guerrillas from positions close to the border with Kosovo.

The offensive has continued for most of the day, with the security forces using artillery, tanks and helicopter gunships.

Army sources reported that one officer was killed and two soldiers were injured late in the day when their vehicle hit a landmine in the disputed area.

We are ready to fight a war in the areas we control

Rebel leader, Commander Sokoli

In response to the attack, rebel Commander Sokoli told the Associated Press news agency that the guerrillas had merely pulled back and would strike to reverse the government's progress.

He gave the government until midnight (1100 GMT) to change its strategy of excluding the rebels from talks.

The heaviest attack on rebel positions was near the village of Gajre.

The Macedonian authorities say they have advanced to within 200m of the border with Kosovo - but are under instructions not to cross.

The government says there are no longer any villages under rebel control in the area.

'New action'

Macedonian army

Manpower: 17,000

98 battle tanks

14 aircraft

5 helicopters, including two Soviet-designed gunships

50 air defence guns

30 surface-to-air missiles

Mortars and heavy artillery

112 armed vehicles, most in poor condition

Shortage of basic supplies

Estimates from International Institute for Strategic Studies

The action comes only days after guerrillas were driven from areas around the north-western town of Tetovo, Macedonia's second-largest city and the unofficial capital of the country's Albanian minority.

Army spokesman Blagoja Markovski said the army and police were operating near the villages of Brest, Malino Malo and Gosince, where clashes took place earlier this month before the later clashes around Tetovo.

"The army is to occupy the entire border to enforce stronger control," he said.

Albanian rebels

Manpower: 300-700

Light anti-tank weapons

Kalashnikov rifles

Chinese-made machine guns

Sniper rifles and mortars

Security forces battled with Albanian rebels on the edges of Tetovo, 40km (25 miles) for almost two weeks until finally chasing them out of positions overlooking the large town at the weekend.

The government says the guerrillas above Tetovo fled north-west towards Kosovo which they used as a rear base.

Solana urges dialogue

In Brussels, the European Union's top foreign policy adviser, Javier Solana, urged Macedonia's political leaders to make a clear political gesture towards members of the ethnic Albanian community.

Javier Solana: time for dialogue is now

He was speaking to the European Parliament at the end of a lightning visit to Macedonia, his third to the region in the past two weeks.

"I emphasised that after the consolidation of the military situation the time had now come to concentrate on the political agenda," he told MEPs.

Mr Solana suggested that, as a gesture of solidarity, the government in Skopje should invite ethnic Albanian leaders to a forthcoming signing ceremony between Macedonia and the EU.

A Macedonian delegation is due to sign a Stabilisation and Association Agreement - the first step to possible future talks on EU membership - in Luxembourg on 9 April.