Nairobi  - Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party on Monday alleged that military intelligence planned to use snipers to assassinate its leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai was due to return to Zimbabwe from South Africa over the weekend to begin his campaign against President Robert Mugabe in the presidential election run-off, scheduled for June 27.

However, he cancelled his return after his advisers claimed they had uncovered an assassination plot against him.

"We know there are 18 snipers, and the military intelligence directorate is in charge of this," the BBC quoted MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti as telling reporters in Nairobi.

"Mugabe's military intelligence has compiled a list of 36 to 40 people to be assassinated. Top of the list are our leader Morgan Tsvangirai, myself and our spokesman Nelson Chamisa," Biti continued.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai are squaring up to do battle in a run-off after neither won an outright victory of over 50 per cent in the first round of voting on March 29, according to the state-controlled Electoral Commission.

ZEC credited Tsvangirai with 47.9 per cent of the vote, to 43.2 per cent for Mugabe.

Zimbabwe has been rocked by violence since the March elections, and Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has been largely blamed for the trouble.

The MDC says 40 of its members have been killed by Mugabe supporters in revenge for the MDC's victory over Zanu-PF in parliamentary elections.

Zanu-PF has described the reports as exaggerated and complained of retaliatory MDC attacks.

Many observers believe that the presidential run-off has already been compromised by the violence. (dpa)