Clashes strain Macedonia ceasefire
Ethnic Albanian rebels and Government forces have clashed in Macedonia, straining a ceasefire before a visit by a top Nato general.
The fighting has now ended but it has aggravated the already tense situation.
Police said ethnic Albanian rebels opened small arms and mortar fire on Macedonian government positions near the village of Poroj on the outskirts of Tetovo.
An ethnic Albanian rebel commander said fighting was very intensive, but there was no immediate information on any casualties.
The visit by Nato's supreme allied commander in Europe, General Joseph Ralston, will assess whether it is safe to send thousands of Nato troops into Macedonia.
Despite the fighting near Tetovo, Macedonia's defence ministry said the army would pull back from front-line areas where alliance forces are to collect weapons from ethnic Albanian rebels.
Military helicopters and aeroplanes would cease flying over areas where handovers of rebel weapons are scheduled to take place.
General Ralston is expected to discuss co-operation between Macedonian forces and the British-led Nato mission, dubbed Operation Essential Harvest.
The troops are to gather weapons to be voluntarily handed in by the rebels, known as the National Liberation Army
An advance party of about 400 Nato troops will determine whether the ceasefire is durable enough to allow the deployment of the full 3,500-strong force. The alliance is expected to make a decision on the force later this week.
