Temporary Macedonian truce collapses

A truce has been called around Aracinovo after three days of shelling

SKOPJE, Macedonia -- A temporary ceasefire introduced at village bombarded for three days by the Macedonian army has collapsed after less than six hours.

Shelling resumed on Aracinovo on Sunday evening, breaking a ceasefire brokered earlier in the day by European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

The shelling began just as Solana was departing the region. He had said he hoped the ceasefire would be extended to the rest of Macedonia.

The rebels had said they would pull out of Aracinovo if international monitors were put in place in the region, which was part of the agreement brokered Sunday by Solana.

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However, after the EU foreign policy chief left the region, Macedonia reneged on this stipulation.

As he departed Macedonia, Solana -- who was in Skopje to work out a peace accord between the rebels and the Macedonian government -- expressed his optimism about ceasefire.

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"Before I leave the country I wanted to see the president once again to tell him how pleased I am of the ceasefire ... I think it is a very important step," Solana said, following his meetings with government leaders Sunday.

"I want to say that it is a sign of responsibility of everybody and I would like to say also that this agreement has a component also of humanitarian nature and I think it will be an important step for the future to continue working so that the country is completely in peace," he added.

The violence between Macedonian government forces and ethnic Albanian rebels broke out at 9 p.m. local time, shortly after an international delegation met with the rebels, failing to establish a prolonged ceasefire.

Earlier, Solana said: "There is a ceasefire which I hope will extend to the rest of the country."

Solana was speaking to reporters in the capital, Skopje after a weekend of talks with politicians on both sides of Macedonia's ethnic divide. "Political dialogue should now continue," he added.

Journalist Juliette Terzieff told CNN that, while it lasted, the ceasefire was viewed on the ground "with a lot of scepticism and caution."

She said: "There are not very many people on the streets, not in the capital or in Aracinovo..or in the other two area where there has been fighting.

"The ceasefire, as we understand it, is only good here, around the area of Aracinovo. It does not apply to the rest of the country.

"People are very confused by the latest news because it is unclear how long the ceasefire will last and how long it will be before the Macedonian army renews its attacks on the rebels."

Earlier on Sunday, the army had resume their assault on ethnic Albanian rebels while diplomats met to restore the truce.

Artillery and tank bombardment on Aracinovo was audible in the capital Skopje about 10 km (six miles) away for the third day running.

Military spokesman Blagoja Markovski said the army had gained a third of Aracinovo before dawn.

"The action is slowed down by heavy rebel fortifications and a large number of terrorists in the rest of Aracinovo," Markovski told Associated Press.

"But we shall carry on until we completely eliminate the terrorists."

Solana was in Macedonia for a second time in three days to try to stop the assault, which broke the previous truce which lastest 11-days.

The fighting has prompted hundreds of refugees to flee into the neighbouring Serbian province of Kosovo and southern Serbia, the United Nations refugee agency said.

Over 55,000 have already crossed the border since fighting intensified earlier in the year.