Macedonia shows off dead 'militants'

Security has been stepped up in Skopje

By the BBC's Paul Anderson

Western diplomatic sources in Macedonia say they have been shown four of the seven foreign fighters killed by Macedonian police forces early on Saturday.

The authorities say that embassies were to be targets

Macedonian Interior Minister Ljube Boskovski says the men were planning attacks on western interests in Skopje, although he has so far provided no proof for the claim.

Diplomatic sources in Macedonia say the claim by the Macedonian authorities that the men were foreign was consistent with their appearance.

The men were evidently not from the Balkans region and were perhaps of ethnic Asian origin, they say.

On Saturday Mr Boskovski, said the men were planning attacks on vital installations in Skopje and the German, American and British embassies.

No evidence has yet been advanced to back up the claim.

Increased security

The authorities say the men were killed after they tried to ambush a police patrol.

Immediately the Macedonians, at their own instigation, increased the police presence outside embassy buildings.

Diplomatic sources say no clear picture has emerged yet as to the credibility of the threat against western interests in Skopje, but they say they were being taken seriously.

Western officials in Skopje are mindful of the fact that the Macedonian authorities have been seeking to make a connection between the Albanian rebels who staged last year's insurrection and the al-Qaeda terror network.

The Macedonians have so far failed to provide proof for the claim.