Macedonian Interior Minister Ljube Boskovski says police have killed seven men who they believe were planning to attack several key buildings and foreign embassies in Skopje.

Police say the men were killed in a shootout early Saturday while attempting to ambush a police patrol just outside the Macedonian capital. Police say they suffered no losses in their own ranks, and all the assailants were killed.

Senior police officials describe the attackers as "mujahideen terrorists" and "foreigners," and say they suspect at least some of them are from Pakistan. Police say they found hand grenades, assault rifles and rocket launchers in their van.

Police say the attackers appear to be linked to another group - two Jordanians and two Bosnians - detained in late February. They say computer diskettes seized from that group show detailed evidence of plans to strike at the U.S., British, and German embassies in Skopje. Western officials say heightened security measures are in effect at several embassies in the Macedonian capital. More than a dozen heavily armed police officers were seen posted outside the U.S. embassy compound in Skopje.

The clash Saturday was the most serious incident in Macedonia since the signing in August of a peace accord that ended a conflict between Macedonian security forces and ethnic Albanian rebels.

Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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