Mexican army reportedly moving against Zapatistas

Reports from the southern Mexican state of Chiapas say the army temporarily surrounded the headquarters of the rebel Zapatista movement.

One witness said the Zapatista leader, Sub-Comandante Marcos, had narrowly escaped capture when troops drew close to the rebels' stronghold at La Realidad.

The Zapatistas said that soldiers had detained and tortured several Indians in the surrounding areas.

Despite vehement official denials that the army had occupied the rebel base, a BBC correspondent in Chiapas says the military presence there has increased steadily over the past week as part of a drive to disarm rebels.

The new Mexican Interior Minister, Francisco Labastida Ochoa, said such operations would continue, but that he'd do everything possible to resume negotiations with the Zapatistas, which broke down more than a year ago.

His predecessor resigned on Saturday, following the massacre of forty-five Indians in Chiapas, allegedly by pro-government gunmen.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service