Macedonian police detain about 30 suspected extremists

Government official Ljube Boskovski said in the raids in Poroj police also discovered a large amounts of weapons, automatic guns, ammunition and bombs.

Unconfirmed reports said that residents of one of the raided houses opened fire on security forces.

Boskovski said security forces will continue their crackdown on suspected extremists in the areas near Tetovo and Kumanovo.

The army meanwhile deployed heavy weapons at Debar, 130 kilometres southwest of the capital Skopje near the border with Albania in a bid to prevent ethnic Albanian rebels from infiltrating Macedonia, defence ministry officials said.

Unconfirmed reports said a group of 15 to 30 terrorists is stationed near Banjiste spa, two kilometres west of Debar. The group reportedly came into Macedonia three or four days ago and is said to be trying to recruit new members for the rebel National Liberation Army.

Reports said the group was trained in camps in Albania. New groups of rebels are expected in the next few days, the reports said.

On Thursday, Macedonian army spokesman Blagoja Markovski denied reports that new terrorist groups were in the region.

The situation in Macedonia and the region is top on the agenda of a meeting of foreign ministers of the southeastern European states in Skopje planned for April 12.

The Skopje meeting will bring together ministers from Yugoslavia, Croatia, Albania, Bosnia, Slovenia, Greece, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and EU foreign and security policy chief Javier Solana will also participate.

On Thursday defence ministers of the southeastern European states at a meeting in Skopje adopted a declaration saying they would take efforts to attain security, stability and lasting regional peace.

(kil/dpa)