Spanish troops forced a unit of Moroccan soldiers off of an uninhabited Mediterranean island Wednesday, taking six Moroccans prisoner for a few hours in the process and intensifying the two nations' dispute over the soccer-field sized speck of land. The Moroccan government warned it would "not fail to act" in response. The Spanish operation was the latest move in a standoff that began last Thursday, when 12 Moroccan soldiers landed on the tiny island, set up tents and raised their national flag. The island, known as Isla Perejil to Spaniards and Leila to Moroccans, has been claimed by Spain for 300 years.

The Spanish moves came as a surprise, since government officials had repeatedly said that they wanted a diplomatic solution to the crisis. Spain took action after consulting with the U.N. Security Council and the country's allies, according to a statement issued by the office of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.

Despite the military action, the statement said the Spanish government still wished "to maintain fruitful, friendly and cooperative relations" with the Moroccan kingdom, and said it was willing to initiate talks to achieve this.

In Rabat, Morocco, a top Moroccan official who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the operation had taken place but gave no further details. He said that Moroccan authorities "will not fail to act."

PHOTO CAPTION

A helicopter prepares to take off from the Spanish frigate Numancia, docked in the port of Ceuta, Spain, Tuesday July 16, 2002 as another hovers overhead. Spain has sent four war vessels to the zone to protect Spain's two city enclaves Ceuta and Melilla along Morocco's northern coast as Morocco continued its military occupation of the tiny uninhabited Spanish islet of Perejil, three miles, 4.8 kilometers, from Ceuta. (AP Photo/Cristina Quicler)