1 Soldiers and rebel fighters dug trenches and braced for a confrontation after President Ernesto Zedillo's announcement that he was cracking down on the Chiapas insurgency.
2 Fighters from the Zapatista National Liberation Army told reporters Thursday they were going on 'red alert.' Guerrillas felled trees and planted mines along the roads leading into rebel territory in the southern Chiapas state.
3 In the village of San Andres Larrainzar, at least 200 soldiers, accompanied by an armored vehicle with a 90mm gun, guarded the village of San Andres Larrainzar, about 10 miles (16 km) north of San Cristobal, the state's largest city.
4 Tensions rose as Zedillo announced he was ordering the arrest of six leaders of the Zapatista National Liberation Army, including the rebel group's mysterious leader Subcommandante Marcos.
5 Chiapas residents feared they could become victims of renewed fighting. More than 145 people died when the Zapatistas launched an uprising Jan. 1, 1994. A cease-fire was declared 12 days later.
6 At the Rancho Nuevo military base and roadblock about 16 kilometers (10 miles) east of here, passing motorists reported troop strength to be about five times the usual deployment.
7 'It's a pretext to enter the communities (in rebel territory) to arrest people and it will start a massacre . because the peasants will defend themselves,' said Concepcion Villafuerte, editor of the opposition newspaper Tiempo.
8 Villafuerte's publisher husband Amado Avendano Figueroa, who claimed he was defrauded of victory in Aug. 21 gubernatorial elections and set up what he called a 'government-in-rebellion,' huddled with his government council on the edge of town.
9 They were trying to decide what to do in the face of Zedillo's announcement. The rebels support Avendano's claim, but the two groups are not closely allied.
10 In downtown San Cristobal, a provincial city famous for its Spanish colonial architecture, residents stood in front of appliance stores, their eyes glued to images on televisions screens.
11 Victoria Garcia leaned out the door of a small dry goods store and called to passing friend: 'Did you hear the good news? They've got Marcos corralled.'
12 She blamed the Zapatistas for the seizure by peasants of her small ranch in near the town of Chenalho, about 12 miles (20 km) northeast of here.
13 'We have been afraid,' she said.

Tensions rose as Zedillo announced he was ordering the arrest of six leaders of the Zapatista National Liberation Army , including the rebel group ' s mysterious leader Subcommandante Marcos .
the arrest of six leaders
Why was he ordering their arrest? 