Macedonian jets hit rebels

It is the first time Macedonia has used Sukhoi planes

Macedonian air force jets have bombed rebel positions around the north-western town of Tetovo, raising serious doubts about a Western-brokered peace plan due to be signed on Monday.

The air attacks followed a day of fighting in Tetovo between Macedonian security forces and ethnic Albanian rebels, with reports of rocket and small arms fire - and at least 10 civilians injured.

This is a moment at which we decide the destiny of our country

Defence Minister Vlado Buckovski

It was the first time Macedonia had made use of the planes, Sukhoi Su-25 fighters, which it bought earlier this year from the Ukraine.

Francois Leotard, the European Union's peace mediator, had already admitted that the agreement initialled by the two sides could be jeopardised by the latest fighting.

"I remain very cautious, I can't deny that, because if the situation continues to deteriorate on the ground, what has been established and concluded on paper could be called into question," he said.

Meanwhile, Macedonian army chief of staff General Pande Petrovski has been sacked, a statement from President Boris Trajkovski's office said.

Macedonians attacked Albanian buildings following the convoy attack

His dismissal follows a rebel attack on a military convoy on Wednesday in which 10 Macedonian soldiers were killed, the worst day's tally of casualties so far in the conflict.

The latest fighting in Tetovo was described by a Macedonian army spokesman as some of the fiercest yet.

Macedonian radio said Tetovo resembled a ghost town, with reports of shooting and explosions in the morning and afternoon.

The government has accused the rebels of trying to clear Macedonians from their area of control.

After Wednesday's death toll, another Macedonian policeman was killed overnight in the north-western village of Rataje. Macedonian news agency MIA said the policeman was killed in a rebel attack.

Breakthrough

In face of the upsurge of violence, Defence Minister Vlado Buckovski, seen as a moderate, has called on Macedonians to "give peace a chance".

"This is a moment at which we decide the destiny of our country. Although we are full of sorrow and pain, we mustn't take leave of our senses and make decisions under the influence of strong emotions," he said.

The renewed fighting came after a breakthrough in the peace talks on Wednesday, when Western envoys persuaded Macedonian and ethnic Albanian leaders to initial an accord after 12 days of talks.

The deal is designed to grant ethnic Albanians, who make up about a third of Macedonia's population, new rights.

Nato has pledged to send in a 3,500-member force to oversee the disarming of the rebels if and when the final deal is signed.