Peruvian generals sacked

Perez de Cuellar's appointment has been welcomed

Peru's new interim government has sacked 13 senior army generals in an immediate purge of the military.

The sacked personnel include armed forces chief General Walter Chacon, air force chief General Carlos Balarezo and 11 other key regional commanders.

We are going to guarantee the impartiality of the armed forces in the electoral process

Defence Minister Walter Ledesma

Just hours earlier, the interim President of Peru, Valentin Paniagua, swore in a new cabinet at a ceremony at the presidential palace, following the resignation of President Alberto Fujimori earlier this week amid allegations of government corruption.

The BBC's James Reynolds in Lima says the speed of the move has taken many by surprise.

Analysts see it as an attempt to eradicate the power structure within the military set up by Mr Fujimori's adviser, the shadowy former intelligence chief, Vladimiro Montesinos.

Hunt for Montesinos

The generals who have been dismissed are said to have close links with Mr Montesinos, who is currently in hiding in Peru.

President Paniagua is seen as skilled at building consensus

Tracking down Mr Montesinos - who is accused of illegally laundering millions of dollars - could prove a major headache for the interim government, analysts say.

The new Defence Minister, retired General Walter Ledesma, said that from this moment on, the armed forces would no longer interfere in politics.

"We are going to guarantee the impartiality of the armed forces in the electoral process which is drawing closer. That is the principal task of our transitional government," he said.

The interim government is expected to lead Peru until new elections in April next year. It is headed by former UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar.

The armed forces chief appointed by Mr Fujimori last month - General Walter Chacon - was replaced by Carlos Tafur, who was forced into retirement earlier this year for opposing the influence of Mr Montesinos.

Fujimori considers return

In Japan, Mr Fujimori has been quoted in a newspaper interview as saying he is innocent of allegations of corruption.

Alberto Fujimori ruled Peru with an iron grip for 10 years

Mr Fujimori, who is in Tokyo, also said he was considering standing as a congressional candidate in April's elections.

But in the interview with Asahi he said he did not plan to return to Peru "in the near future".

Many Peruvians believe Mr Fujimori is staying in Japan to avoid being targeted in corruption investigations involving Mr Montesinos.

"One of the problems was that I trusted Montesinos too much," he told Japan's Mainichi newspaper.