The Angolan army is reported to have deployed troops along the border with Zambia, as part of its campaign against Unita rebel forces.

According to military sources quoted by the French news agency, AFP, the government troop movements follow a decision by Zambia to put its own army on a state of alert along the Angolan border.

Zambia had deployed troops because it feared the Angolan soldiers would cross the border in pursuit of the rebels, the sources said.

Angola's civil war is having increasing repercussions in neighbouring countries.

United Nations experts visited Zambia in December to probe charges by Luanda that the UNITA rebels were receiving arms and financial support from individuals in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, in defiance of a UN embargo.

Namibian involvement

In the past month Angola has reported substantial gains against Unita, capturing the former rebel base at Jamba - close to the borders with Zambia and with Namibia.

Since then, Unita fighters have crossed into Namibia, and were blamed by the Namibian Government for the killing of three French tourist children in the north of the country.

Angolan soldiers have entered Namibian territory - with the consent of the authorities in Windhoek - in pursuit of the rebels.

Namibian troops in turn crossed into Angola this week in search of the killers of the three tourists.