Macedonian army starts new offensive
Macedonia's army has launched a fresh offensive to clear ethnic Albanian rebels from the hills along the northern border with Kosovo.
Artillery fire could be heard as far away as the capital, Skopje, six miles away.
The area under attack stretches from the village of Lipkovo to the east to the village of Brest to the west.
Fighting also occurred in the area on Tuesday, when government troops attempted to take the Caska mountain pass.
The push came a day after Macedonia's president Boris Trajkovski declared victory over the rebels and hinted negotiations can now take place for constitutional changes demanded by the country's Albanian minority.
The insurgents, who say they are fighting for greater rights, have been pushed back from the hills surrounding Macedonia's second-largest city, Tetovo, but it was not known if they had pulled out altogether or were just regrouping for another fight.
Both Nato and the European Union have been urging the Macedonian government to open a dialogue with the ethnic Albanians to provide a political solution to the ethnic conflict that exploded into pitched battles early this month.
On Tuesday Mr Trajkovski said the military's offensive had restored confidence among Macedonian people and proved the country was able to defend its fragile democracy.
