Mexican soldiers have left the headquarters of the rebel Zapatista movement in the southern state of Chiapas after surrounding it for a day.

A local rebel spokesman said the base was on alert in case the soldiers return to occupy the area.

The Mexican Army denied that it surrounded the headquarters in an attempt to seize the group's main leader, Sub-commandante Marcos.

Zapatista sympathisers said that hundreds of troops surrounded the mountain stronghold at La Realidad detaining and torturing local peasants to find the whereabouts of Sub-commandante Marcos, who was forced to flee.

But the army says there was no more than normal troop movement.

The Zapatistas have been allowed to hold onto the town as part of agreements negotiated with the federal government.

The Mexican government admits sending around 5,000 additional troops to the area since the December massacre of 45 villagers in Chiapas.

On Saturday, the Interior Minister Emilio Chuayffet Chemor resigned in a belated response to the killings, widely attributed to pro-government paramilitaries opposed to the Zapatistas.

Mr Chuayffet's replacement, Francisco Labastida Ochoa, said he would seek to restart negotiations with the Zapatistas, which broke down more than a year ago.

"Marcos wanted dead or alive"

The Zapatista rebels have built up a stronghold in the town of La Realidad since being forced to call off their armed rebellion in 1994 after 10 days of warfare.

A mural of Emilio Zapata who founded the rebel group

Hidden in the Lacandon jungle, the army has until now kept watch on the group but made little effort to tackle them head on.

Comandante David, a Zapatista leader, said troops were preparing for some kind of attack.

"They combed the region around the community, detaining and torturing indigenous peasants that they found on their way," he said.

Soldiers asked local people: "'Where is Marcos, we have orders from the President to grab him dead or alive,'" he said.

Another Zapatista leader said Subcomandante Marcos had escaped in a civilian vehicle, though none of the reports could be confirmed.

Other villagers prepared to flee the town as jeeps with machine guns took positions around La Realidad.

"The people of the community are ready to leave," said Mirlenka Montano, a member of a Mexico City University group helping Indians in the area. "They already packed their bags."
 

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