(23 Jul 1995) English/Nat
Twelve hundred British troops in Bosnia are moving to protect the besieged city of Sarajevo with orders to respond to any further attacks from the Bosnian Serbs.
The soldiers, stationed in Vitez as part of the United Nation's Rapid Reaction Force, are heading for Mount Igman and will remain in the region for at least five days.
The French government reacted quickly to the killing of two of their peace keepers in Sarajevo.
French troops are also heading for the region surrounding the Bosnian capital.
Troops of the First Battalion Devon and Dorset Regiment, 19 Regiment, Royal Artillery and a squadron of the Household cavalry form the main body of the British deployment.
They are equipped with 45 Warrior vehicles, armoured transports and Scimitar light tanks.
The troops are part of the U-N's Rapid Reaction Force, set-up in response to the worsening crisis in the region.
The troops are on their way to Sarajevo using the Mount Igman trail, the only way in since Serbs tightened the siege in May.
The plan calls for the for the road to be brought under control by French and British troops of the Rapid Reaction Force.
The commanding officer of the Devon and Dorset regiment in Vitez gave a briefing on the task ahead.
SOUNDBITE:
"UNPROFOR will reinforce the ability to move along the Igman route."
unintelligible question
"Within direct fire access, yes."
SUPER CAPTION: Lt Colonel Jeff Cook, CO Ist Battalion Devon and Dorset Regiment.
The Mount Igman road is constantly under Serb bombardment. Last week the U-N lost two aid vehicles to shellfire on the road.
The United Nations is increasing its firepower in Sarajevo. The U-N is sending the first combat unit from the allies' Rapid Reaction Force to the Bosnian capital.
The U-N deployment comes in response to Saturday's deaths of two French peacekeepers in Serb attacks. Heavy artillery from the British U-N peacekeeping mission based in Tomislavgrad have been deployed into Sarajevo.
The combat unit is expected to include two artillery brigades, one tank brigade and one heavy mortar brigade.
It is moving towards Sarajevo Sunday.
A U-N spokesman says the unit's mission will be to respond to attacks against the capital. The U-N move comes two days after Western allies threatened to retaliate against Serbs in the "safe area" of Gorazde (goh-RAHZH'-deh).
It also comes one day after Islamic countries pledged to boost arms shipments to Bosnian Muslims.
NATO sources say Sunday's deployment could also lead to the mobilisation into the Bosnian capital of French Foreign Legionnaires based around Tomislavgrad to back up the guns.
France has threatened retaliatory strikes against Serb barracks.
The French peace keepers died during Serb shelling on a United Nations compound and on a U-N convoy.
The French government is planning to reinforce their positions around Sarajevo with the Rapid Reaction Force and to counterattack against Serb targets.
Some 500 French soldiers of the French-British-Dutch Rapid Reaction Force are on alert and have been deployed to Sarajevo. The contingent was ordered to the Bosnian capital Sunday.
The so-called Contact Group countries met in London Friday and warned Serb authorities that they would face air strikes if they threatened the U-N safe zone of Gorazde.
It is hoped the Rapid Reaction Force will be enough to break the Serb stranglehold on the besieged city. The U-N has invested much in this new force and the U-N mission in Bosnia could stand or fall by its success.
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