Twenty alleged radical Islamic militants have been arrested over the murder of five  fishermen in Macedonia last month, the worst case of mass murder in the tiny Balkan country since it gained independence 21 years ago.

Interior Minister Gordana Jankuloska told the media on Tuesday that those arrested will face multiple charges.

Jankuloska said that the suspected murderers are radical Islamic militants who have fought against NATO troops in Afghanistan.

No further details were immediately available.

The Interior Ministry in Macedonia said more information will be provided in the coming days.

The victims, all ethnic Macedonians, were found shot dead on April 12 near an artificial lake at Butel. Four were in their 20s, and the fifth was in his 40s. Media identified the dead as Filip Slavkovski, Aleksandar Nakjevski, Tsvetanco Atsevski, Kire Trickovski and Borce Stefanovski.

Tensions have been simmering in Macedonia since the end of an armed rebellion in 2001, when ethnic Albanian rebels fought Macedonian government forces for about eight months, seeking greater rights for their community. The conflict left 80 people dead, and ended with the intervention of NATO troops.

Ethnic Albanians, who are mostly Muslim, make up a quarter of Macedonia's population of 2.1 million. Most residents are Orthodox Christian.

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