Skopje - Macedonian forces fired on ethnic Albanian guerrilla positions with tanks and artillery yesterday, despite an earlier commitment to hold fire to allow trapped civilians to escape the northern battle zone.
Army spokesman Blagoja Markovski said the army was responding to fire from rebel forces who attacked with mortars and machine-guns. A photographer near the northern village of Matejce saw heavy fighting around the village mosque.
Yesterday morning the Macedonian army said it would hold fire to allow humanitarian agencies to facilitate the evacuation of thousands of mostly ethnic Albanian civilians.