June 25, 1999
Web posted at: 7:49 p.m. EDT (2349 GMT)

GNJILANE, Yugoslavia (CNN) -- An unidentified gunman was killed Friday after exchanging fire with U.S. Marines near the Kosovo town of Gnjilane, Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon told CNN.

The incident, not far from Kosovo's border with Macedonia, began shortly before 6 p.m. (12 noon ET) when members of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit came under small arms fire, U.S. officials said.

The Marines fired back and cleared buildings one by one searching for gunmen. No Marines were injured or killed, the Pentagon said.

During the search, a "wounded civilian man was found lying beside an AK-47 assault rifle," officials said. The man, whose affiliation was not immediately determined, was reported dead on arrival at a hospital.

It is unclear at this time if any of the other alleged assailants were taken into custody, CNN's Carl Rochelle reported.

The attack is the third on U.S. forces in Kosovo this week.

Marines manning a checkpoint near the village of Zegra came under fire by a group of armed men and returned fire Wednesday. One gunman was killed and two were wounded.

The first case was Monday night, when army soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division, operating near the city of Urosevac, were fired upon but not injured.

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