Tenga had become an enemy sanctuary

Major Nibigira

Meanwhile the Tanzanian army has sent more troops to its western border following an upsurge of fighting in eastern Burundi.

Army spokesman Major Edouard Nibigira said six soldiers had died and another 12 had been wounded during clashes over the past three weeks in the Tenga-Kivoga district close to the capital.

The casualty figures have not been independently confirmed, but Bujumbura residents say there has been very heavy serious fighting this week, with the army forced to use heavy weapons for the first time.

Analysts believe that the rebels are trying to acquire a base near the capital before a 20 October ceasefire deadline set by the peace talks mediator, the former South African president Nelson Mandela.

Sanctions

A peace accord aimed at ending the conflict was agreed in August, but the two main Hutu rebel movements have so far failed to sign it.

Mr Mandela, accompanied by President Moi of Kenya and President Kagame of Rwanda, met leaders of both groups in Nairobi on 20 September and told them they would face unspecified sanctions if they failed to stop fighting in a month's time.

The army has been using heavy weapons against the rebels

The army defended the heavy shelling and extensive deployment of trooops against rebels he said were trying to infiltrate into the capital.

"Tenga had become an enemy sanctuary," Mr Nibigira said.

He also alleged that the the Burundian Hutu rebels were being backed by members of Hutu militias from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

The war between Hutu rebels and the Burundian army, which is dominated by the minority Tutsi group, has been going on since 1993 when the country's first democratically elected Hutu president was assassinated.

Tanzania on guard

An estimated 200,000 people have been killed, and even more have fled to Tanzania.

In Tanzania itself, troops have moved to the western border following fresh fighting in eastern Burundi.

This has led to a new influx of refugees into Tanzania, and the authorities are worried the conflict could spill over into their territory.

Tanzania's army chief of staff, General Robert Mboma, has been visiting refugee camps near the border and he cautioned refugees to be on their guard.

Correspondents say that significant numbers from the minority Tutsi community are now fleeing Burundi for the first time - and are bringing their cattle with them, causing further problems for the Tanzanian authorities.