Thousands of ethnic Albanians have protested in the Former Republic of Macedonia against the killing of an ethnic Albanian during Saturday's police raids.

The protesters carried the coffin of the victim Beqir LImani, covered with an Albanian flag, through the streets of Kicevo, a town near the Albanian border.

The Macedonian interior ministry said he was killed after he threatened to throw a grenade at policemen who had gone to search his apartment.

His family denies this.

The Macedonian police said it raided the homes of a number of people suspected of involvment in bomb attacks over the last few months. Correspondents say western officials remain concerned that the conflict in neighbouring Kosovo could spread into Macedonia.