Riots follow Macedonia deaths

Trajkovski's government is trying to end a rebellion by ethnic Albanian rebels

SKOPJE, Macedonia -- Riots erupted in Macedonia's second city as the prime minister called for a state of war to be declared on ethnic Albanian rebels.

Crowds of Macedonian Slavs torched ethnic Albanian property in riots in the southern city of Bitola.

The trouble flared after five soldiers, three of them from Bitola, died in an attack on mountain outposts late on Tuesday.

Shocked Macedonian politicians said they were ready to declare a state of war to give themselves the powers to quell the insurrection, which began in February.

Macedonia's Western allies urged the government to show restraint, warning that a declaration of war risked aggravating the insurgency.

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On Wednesday night, crowds swept through Bitola burning at least 25 shops and the home of Macedonia's deputy minister of health, an ethnic Albanian, witnesses said.

The attacks were in apparent retribution for the killing by rebels of soldiers from the area, witnesses said.

Shots had been heard as groups of rioters swept through the city, they added.

State television showed fierce flames billowing out of buildings and firefighters struggling to douse the inferno.

Earlier Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski threatened to seek a state of war declaration after rebels killed the five soldiers who were on a rescue mission.

VIDEO CNN's Chris Burns has more on rebel activity in the Balkans Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

The deaths came during fierce fighting in the hills near Tetevo in northwestern Macedonia.

The prime minister wants full military mobilisation and emergency powers to fight the rebels.

He says the declaration would allow the military to call up all able-bodied men to fight.

Ethnic Albanians have been given aid during the fighting

On Tuesday, U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visited Skopje to meet government officials. He also visited troops in Kosovo as part of a six-day tour of Europe.

Also on Wednesday unidentified gunmen fired on the office of Macedonian president Boris Trajkovski in central Skopje.

The gunfire hit the bulletproof windows of the president office, but did not penetrate the glass.

The attack took place as the president was meeting the leader of a political party. No casualties were reported.

Police say the gunmen fled after opening fire twice in the direction of the building.

Macedonian politicians had suggested a declaration of war in early May to end the insurgency which began in February.

They were persuaded not to do it by the Western powers who said it would alienate ethnic Albanians and complicate the search for peace.

Ethnic Albanians say they face discrimination by majority Slavs. The government calls them terrorists trying to wreck the nation.

The West has been pushing the Slav majority to undercut support for the rebels by improving the rights of Albanians, who say they suffer state-backed discrimination in education, employment and language rights.

The cross-party coalition formed in May to work on reforms has made little progress amid political bickering and tension.