Isolated Fire Disturbs Sarajevo's Truce
04 March 1994
By Kurt Schork
SARAJEVO -- Machine-gun fire and heavy explosions shattered Sarajevo's fragile truce Thursday but the UN commander said the brief action did not warrant NATO air strikes.
Sarajevo, under siege for close to two years, has been largely quiet since NATO set Serb forces a Feb. 21 deadline to withdraw their heavy weapons or risk having them bombed.
There were conflicting reports on whether the hardware used in Thursday's clash fell within NATO's definition of "heavy weapons" -- artillery pieces, tanks, rocket launchers, mortars and anti-aircraft guns.
UN officers in Sarajevo said the fighting involved rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns. Witnesses said it was triggered by the explosion of a mortar bomb near the city center.
A NATO spokesman said the alliance had no confirmation banned weapons had been used.
In a separate action, UN officers reported French peacekeepers fired warning shots at Serb positions after Serb troops opened small-arms and machine-gun fire on Bosnian army trenches in southeast Sarajevo.
In Brussels, NATO officials said the UN commander in Bosnia, Lieutenant General Sir Michael Rose, had told the alliance he did not want air strikes in response to an isolated incident.
Air raids on Serb positions would expose UN peacekeepers in Bosnia to the threat of retaliation.
A British peacekeeper told reporters on Thursday the Serbs had set up special units to attack UN forces guarding heavy weapons around Sarajevo if NATO aircraft attacked.
"I have been told (by the Serbs) that there are special units in the area -- they wouldn't say where, who, what -- that are specifically here in case of air strikes, who would turn up, no questions, no nothing, and just shoot," said Flying Officer Julian Woodhouse.
Speaking at a site for surrendered Serb weapons at Osijek, west of Sarajevo, he added: "They've made it very plain to us that ... they would have no qualms, if air strikes had come in, in ensuring we never left this place alive."
Britain and France account for the bulk of UN peacekeeping troops in Bosnia, with 2,500 and 6,000 respectively.
In other action in Bosnia, Sarajevo radio reported that the besieged Moslem enclave of Maglaj in eastern Bosnia had been under heavy artillery fire. One person was killed and four were wounded in what it described as one of the town's worst days.
Maglaj has been cut off from overland relief from the United Nations since the war in Bosnia began nearly two years ago, with just one convoy reaching it last October.
In western Bosnia, the Moslem town of Bihac came under artillery bombardment, according to Sarajevo radio which said 11 people had been killed while standing in a queue for humanitarian aid. There was no independent confirmation.
Sarajevo, under siege for close to two years, has been largely quiet since NATO set Serb forces a Feb. 21 deadline to withdraw their heavy weapons or risk having them bombed.
There were conflicting reports on whether the hardware used in Thursday's clash fell within NATO's definition of "heavy weapons" -- artillery pieces, tanks, rocket launchers, mortars and anti-aircraft guns.
UN officers in Sarajevo said the fighting involved rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns. Witnesses said it was triggered by the explosion of a mortar bomb near the city center.
A NATO spokesman said the alliance had no confirmation banned weapons had been used.
In a separate action, UN officers reported French peacekeepers fired warning shots at Serb positions after Serb troops opened small-arms and machine-gun fire on Bosnian army trenches in southeast Sarajevo.
In Brussels, NATO officials said the UN commander in Bosnia, Lieutenant General Sir Michael Rose, had told the alliance he did not want air strikes in response to an isolated incident.
Air raids on Serb positions would expose UN peacekeepers in Bosnia to the threat of retaliation.
A British peacekeeper told reporters on Thursday the Serbs had set up special units to attack UN forces guarding heavy weapons around Sarajevo if NATO aircraft attacked.
"I have been told (by the Serbs) that there are special units in the area -- they wouldn't say where, who, what -- that are specifically here in case of air strikes, who would turn up, no questions, no nothing, and just shoot," said Flying Officer Julian Woodhouse.
Speaking at a site for surrendered Serb weapons at Osijek, west of Sarajevo, he added: "They've made it very plain to us that ... they would have no qualms, if air strikes had come in, in ensuring we never left this place alive."
Britain and France account for the bulk of UN peacekeeping troops in Bosnia, with 2,500 and 6,000 respectively.
In other action in Bosnia, Sarajevo radio reported that the besieged Moslem enclave of Maglaj in eastern Bosnia had been under heavy artillery fire. One person was killed and four were wounded in what it described as one of the town's worst days.
Maglaj has been cut off from overland relief from the United Nations since the war in Bosnia began nearly two years ago, with just one convoy reaching it last October.
In western Bosnia, the Moslem town of Bihac came under artillery bombardment, according to Sarajevo radio which said 11 people had been killed while standing in a queue for humanitarian aid. There was no independent confirmation.
|
|
Tweet |
|
This article has no comments. Be the first to leave a comment |
Discussion
Comments
To post comments you must be registered
Comments via Facebook
Most Read
1.
City Mistakenly Plants Marijuana Field Instead of Lawn
After the city spread soil containing "grass" seeds around the Brateyevo metro station, a field of marijuana plants sprouted up instead of a lawn.
2.
Ruble Hits Lowest Rate in 3 Years
The ruble dipped to a three-year low Thursday as oil prices fell further.
3.
Putin's Foreign Policy Goes on the Road
In a symbolic gesture, President Vladimir Putin on Thursday arrived in Minsk to pay his first foreign visit as head of state to controversial Belarussian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
4.
European Debt Crisis Driving Workers East
Despite its inconveniences, Moscow has become a magnet for foreign job-seekers, as unemployment in Europe is hitting record highs amid the debt crisis.
5.
Superjet Flight Data Recorder Found Near Volcano Crash Site
Villagers have found the flight data recorder from the Russian plane that slammed into an Indonesian volcano three weeks ago, killing 45 people.
6.
Duma Deputy Robbed at Ritzy Hotel
State Duma Deputy Gennady Gudkov was robbed at the upscale Hotel National across from the street from the Kremlin after a conference, Gudkov said Wednesday evening.
7.
Businessman Shot in Central Moscow
A prominent business leader was shot and wounded by three masked men in the heart of Moscow on Friday — just steps away from FSB headquarters.
8.
China-Russia Airplane Venture Planned
United Aircraft Corporation and Chinese Commercial Aircraft Corporation plan to start a joint venture to develop long-haul aircraft.
9.
Fridman Wants Big Change at TNK-BP
TNK-BP co-owner Mikhail Fridman said BP's Soviet-born partners are urging the British company to return to talks about changing the proportion of the 50-50 partnership.
10.
Russian Railways in Smoking Crackdown, Privatization Freeze
Smokers will find train journeys longer and a tad more frustrating as traditional indulgence of the habit is phased out on Russian Railways' passenger routes.
1.
City Mistakenly Plants Marijuana Field Instead of Lawn
After the city spread soil containing "grass" seeds around the Brateyevo metro station, a field of marijuana plants sprouted up instead of a lawn.
2.
Tabloid: Superjet Downed by U.S. Industrial Sabotage
A tabloid claims that Russian intelligence agencies are investigating the possibility that the U.S. military may have brought down the Sukhoi Superjet that crashed in Indonesia.
3.
McFaul Faces Kremlin Scorn Once Again
The Foreign Ministry assailed U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul for comments the ministry said went "far beyond the bounds of diplomatic etiquette."
4.
Sweden Wins Eurovision; Grannies Take Second
Sweden’s Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan on Sunday before an international TV audience of 100 million, days after angering Azeri authorities by meeting rights activists critical of the host country’s human rights record.
5.
Red Square Flyboy Regrets Air Stunt
When Mathias Rust landed his white Cessna on Red Square on May 28, 1987, he had placed all his hopes for world peace in Mikhail Gorbachev.
6.
Protest and Chaos Seen in Kudrin-Ordered Study
Continued protests in Russia will likely lead to violence or chaotic change, according to a new study ordered by the former finance minister.
7.
Russia's New Propaganda Minister
After Monday's announcement that historian Vladimir Medinsky was appointed the culture minister, critics quickly labeled him the new propaganda minister. Medinsky's academic ethics and historical distortions may raise serious questions, but for the Kremlin, he has three important attributes that are much more important: He is a model United Russia leader, a firm Putin loyalist and a skilled sophist.
8.
Ukraine in Uproar Over Status of Russian Language
Ukraine's ruling party has triggered violent protests with a move to upgrade the official role of Russian, a sensitive issue opponents say will split the country.
9.
150 Detained at Anti-Kremlin Rallies
About 150 people were detained Sunday as scores of people gathered for a series of anti-government demonstrations in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
10.
Vkontakte Founder Tosses 5,000-Ruble Notes Out Window
<p>The founder of the social networking site Vkontakte celebrated St. Petersburg’s 309th anniversary over the weekend by tossing paper airplanes carrying 5,000-ruble notes out a building window.</p>
1.
Hundreds of Arrests Set Grim Backdrop for Victory Day Celebrations
As Moscow gears up to celebrate its victory in World War II, 67 years ago Wednesday, the shadow of political conflict shrouds the capital as hundreds of arrests cloud Victory Day festivities.
2.
Russian Satellite Takes Highest-Ever Resolution Picture of Earth
A stunning 121-megapixel snapshot of the Earth was taken by a Russian weather satellite in what is thought to be the highest resolution picture of the planet ever taken from space.
3.
City Mistakenly Plants Marijuana Field Instead of Lawn
After the city spread soil containing "grass" seeds around the Brateyevo metro station, a field of marijuana plants sprouted up instead of a lawn.
4.
Bodies, No Survivors Spotted at Superjet Crash
Search and rescue helicopters and volunteers struggling through thick forest and mountainous terrain spotted bodies but no survivors on the Indonesian mountainside where a Sukhoi Superjet 100 crashed by the time darkness forced an end to the search Thursday night.
5.
Tabloid: Superjet Downed by U.S. Industrial Sabotage
A tabloid claims that Russian intelligence agencies are investigating the possibility that the U.S. military may have brought down the Sukhoi Superjet that crashed in Indonesia.
6.
Mysterious Photos Reveal an Unseen WWII
After the end of World War II, Paul Sadler returned home to Chicago with three German books and a photo album from the Dachau concentration camp.
7.
Furniture Magnate Shot Dead in Mercedes in Moscow Region
A 46-year-old furniture magnate was killed with six gunshot wounds to the head and chest early Sunday as he arrived in his Mercedes at his home in the Moscow region.
8.
New Cabinet Has Familiar Cast of Characters
President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced the makeup of the new Cabinet answering to Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, with three-fourths of the members having been replaced.
9.
Vladivostok Bridge Climbers Fined 300 Rubles Each
Three thrill-seekers who climbed two Vladivostok bridges earlier this week and took photos from the top were fined 300 rubles ($10) each for trespassing.
10.
Superjet Missing in Indonesia With 50 on Board
A dark cloud was cast Wednesday on the revival of Russia’s aviation industry when a Sukhoi-built Superjet 100 with 50 people on board disappeared from the radar screens of Indonesian flight controllers.


