Macedonia buries ambush victims

The attack was the worst single incident yet in the conflict

Ten Macedonian soldiers killed in an ambush by ethnic Albanian rebels on Wednesday have been buried, as the country's Western-brokered peace plan appeared increasingly under threat.

Thousands of mourners marched through the central town of Prilep, the soldiers' home town, many vowing to take vengeance on the rebels.

There was fighting around the mainly ethnic Albanian city of Tetovo, and another eight soldiers were killed when their truck blew up on three land mines near the capital Skopje.

Personally I am convinced that Macedonia has the strength to win the fight for its own defence

Prime Minister
Ljubco Georgievski

Political controversy flared as well, with Macedonian Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski describing the peace plan as a "shameful capitulation" and saying the country's security forces could win against ethnic Albanian guerrillas.

The prime minister's office later denied that Mr Georgievski was distancing himself from the peace plan, but Western diplomats have expressed doubts that a deal can be salvaged.

Air strikes

Macedonian soldiers exchanged fire with ethnic Albanian rebels on the outskirts of Tetovo.

The director of the city's hospital, Rahim Thagy, told the BBC that 10 injured civilians were being treated there.

Helicopter gunships were said to have been used near Skopje

And there were reports that the Macedonian army used helicopter gunships to attack an ethnic Albanian village near the scene of Friday's mine explosions.

Ethnic Albanian sources in Ljuboten, speaking to The Associated Press, said at least one house was "levelled" in the ethnic Albanian village, which was sealed off by government troops.

Diplomats have described the use of aircraft as a serious escalation of the fighting.

Optimism

US envoy James Pardew, speaking in Sofia, Bulgaria on Friday, condemned the violence, saying "the use of force by the Albanian extremists in Macedonia is unacceptable and totally rejected by the United States."

Macedonians destroyed the mosque in Prilep

But he said that he remained optimistic that a peace deal would be signed in Skopje on Monday as agreed by Macedonia's rival parties on Wednesday.

However, the BBC correspondent in Macedonia says the upsurge in fighting has left the peace deal agreed on Wednesday in tatters.

Diplomats said that the next few days would be crucial if the peace accord is to be salvaged.

"It doesn't look good," one said.