The Macedonian army made a concerted attempt Monday to retake the village of Matejce from ethnic Albanian guerrillas and continued heavy bombardment of other frontline villages.
Two tanks positioned directly in front of Matejce shelled suspected rebel positions above the village, which sits at the bottom of a hill in the north of the Balkan country.
Reuters reporters a few miles away heard bursts of automatic rifle fire -- apparently coming from both sides -- from Matejce, which government troops held last week.
At least four houses inside the village were hit by tank shells, as was the village mosque, situated several hundred meters from a local Orthodox church.
Tanks and long-range artillery also continued the bombardment of the villages of Orizare and Slupcane, a few miles to the east of Matejce.
Bursts of heavy machinegun fire were also coming from another village and reporters said there were signs of some returning fire -- LJUBODRAG, Macedonia (Reuters)
