Macedonia's security forces lost seven more soldiers yesterday, killed when their truck struck two landmines outside the capital, Skopje.
The attack, believed to have been launched by ethnic Albanian guerrillas, came just two days after the ambush of an army convoy in which 10 soldiers were killed, making this week the bloodiest yet in the conflict.
The explosion took place on a dirt road five miles north of the city.
Six soldiers died in the initial blast at 8 a.m. A seventh died on the way to hospital.
The deaths became immediate fuel for government hardliners who are in favour of waging an all-out war against the ethnic Albanian guerrilla group the National Liberation Army (NLA, or, in Albanian, the UCK).
The Prime Minister, Mr Ljuko Georgievski, issued a statement saying Macedonia was capable of defeating the gunmen.
"Personally, I am convinced that with complete unity, and an avoidance of earlier mistakes, Macedonia has the strength to win the fight for its own defence," he said.
But later, the prime minister's office denied that Mr Georgievski had distanced himself from the peace deal.
"On the contrary, he is prepared, together with the other political leaders, to put his signature to the final agreement on Monday so the international public can get a clearer picture of who stands for peace and who stands for war in Macedonia," an official told Reuters.
An army spokesman said he believed the mines were "most probably laid on Thursday night or early on Friday".
Another spokesman said the mines had been laid on top of each other for maximum impact.
The troops had been on their way to replace a post on the border with Kosovo. Nine soldiers were injured.
The increased violence is also eroding hopes for a political settlement aimed at ending the crisis. A signing ceremony is due to take place on Monday, paving the way for Nato troops to come into the country to help disarm the rebel army.
Mr Georgievski's spokesman, Mr Antonio Milososki, said the NLA was clearly opposed to the peace deal.
"Instead of backing the peace agreement, the NLA is trying to find a reason to refuse it. The UCK is prepared to make a funeral of the peace agreement. This is a proposal for war," he said.
In Skopje, police were preparing for protests outside the parliament in reaction to the latest killings.
A curfew was announced for 9 p.m. Previous attacks have seen violent mobs run through the city centre, attacking Albanian businesses and Western institutions.
Before yesterday's mine attack, much of the country's attention had been focused on Prilep, in central Macedonia, home to several of the reservist soldiers killed in Wednesday's ambush.
Two funerals were held yesterday afternoon. The mother of one of the dead solders told Reuters: "I know he was not afraid. I want it to be mentioned in history: my child was a hero and he died heroically, and that's why he will live for ever."