TANUSEVCI, Macedonia (Reuters) - International peacekeepers moved Thursday into
                 part of the village of Tanusevci recently occupied by ethnic Albanian gunmen, but there
                 was dispute over whether they were in Kosovo or Macedonia.

                 Villagers in the remote hamlet said it was Macedonian territory, while the NATO-led
                 KFOR peacekeepers, based in Kosovo, insisted they had not crossed the border.

                 "You understand very well the confusion about where the boundaries are ... and it is a
                 great point of discussion between the government and all the locals," U.S. Brig. Gen.
                 Kenneth Quinlan, commander of Kosovo's Multinational Brigade East, told reporters.

                 "We were therefore very careful to delineate this boundary between us and the
                 Macedonian authorities, and we have identical maps and we also have the advantage
                 of the technical means to know exactly where we are."

                 In Skopje, a Defense Ministry spokesman said no KFOR troops had crossed the
                 border. But on the scene, Bajram Sinani, a 55-year-old villager, was unconvinced.

                 "A CITIZEN OF MACEDONIA"

                 "KFOR entered 200 metres (650 feet) into Macedonia," he said, showing a
                 Macedonian passport which gave his place of residence as Tanusevci, Macedonia.

                 He was worried about the implication of KFOR's move: "I don't want to be a citizen of
                 Kosovo. I am a citizen of Macedonia."

                 The peacekeepers moved into the area, which they called "upper Mijak" and an
                 extension of Tanusevci, at around 10 a.m. (4:00 a.m. EST), hot on the heels of the
                 gunmen.

                 "They pulled out last night. They loaded stuff in a vehicle and onto several donkeys
                 and ... they went toward Macedonia," said U.S. Lt. Col. Bryan Owens, who led the
                 operation.

                 They had used a school building as their headquarters and the peacekeepers found
                 food, supplies and explosives, he said.

                 The tiny former Yugoslav republic has issued multiple calls for help since skirmishes
                 began two weeks ago, saying the violence threatens the delicate relations between
                 its Macedonian majority and one-third ethnic Albanian minority.

                 KFOR said it was taking "robust" measures to secure its side of the border but could
                 not cross into Macedonia.

                 "HAVEN ELIMINATED"

                 "We have just concluded a successful operation by eliminating a safe haven for
                 armed groups here in Kosovo," said Quinlan, speaking in nearby Debelde.

                 The peacekeepers said they had injured two gunmen on Wednesday after taking
                 control of most of Mijak and had detained seven, two of whom had been freed after
                 checks.

                 He said they had tried to talk to the gunmen, variously estimated to total 200 to 300,
                 but without success.

                 In "Upper Mijak," U.S. Maj. Jim Marshall tried to try to clear up the confusion about the
                 border.

                 "That's Macedonia," he said, pointing over a nearby fence. "We are in Kosovo and we
                 are very certain where it is."

                 "There is no doubt about the confusion the locals have with the border, but we
                 coordinated with the Macedonians."

                 Across the fence lay other houses that locals said were part of Tanusevci, in
                 Macedonia.

                 It looked deserted. This reporter stepped over and spent a few minutes in Macedonia
                 before troops called me back, warning of mines.

                 A short time later a KFOR Chinook helicopter brought a container -- and deposited it
                 on the other side.