(11 Nov 1996) English/Nat

A Dutch officer serving with the United Nations police force in Bosnia was shot on Monday during a clash between Muslim refugees and Bosnian Serbs.

U-N officials say the officer was apparently shot by a Bosnian Serb policeman between the former front-line village of Celic and the Bosnian Serb-held town of Koraj in northeastern Bosnia.

A Bosnian Serb was also reported to have been wounded by gunfire.

The extent of the officer's injuries are not yet known.

Hovering over the village of Gajevi, NATO helicopters survey the area where the clash took place.

Officials say the shootings occurred in the early hours of Monday when a group of around 500 Muslim refugees crossed the boundary line that divides Bosnian Serb from Muslim-Croat-controlled areas of Bosnia.

The Dutch officer was hit in the back, although it is unclear whether the shooting was an accident or not.

He was taken first to a Russian army field hospital in the town of Ugljevik before being helicoptered to Tuzla for further treatment. The extent of his injuries is not yet known.

The officer is the first soldier serving in the 1-thousand-700-strong force -- all of whom are unarmed -- to be hit by gunfire since their deployment began last December.

SOUNDBITE:
"This morning the mayor of Celic requested support for the village where resettlers were moving in. There were reports of gunfire and grenades being thrown when Russian...brigade got on the ground and American forces flew in by helicopter. The sound of small fires halted."
SUPER CAPTION: Lieutenant Colonel Jill Morgethaler, IFOR officer

U-N police officers were investigating early reports that a Bosnian Serb had also been injured in the shooting.

The Muslims are frustrated by Bosnian Serb authorities' refusal to permit them to return to their pre-war homes.

Bosnian Prime Minister Hasan Muratovic is calling on I-FOR to take action against the Bosnian Serbs.

SOUNDBITE:
"Those families that received signed documents from UNHCR in accordance with procedure went there to their homes. Then Serbs attacked them and international forces were also there. We have information that one of IPTF policemen was injured, now we are waiting for an action from international forces to follow up the agreement. We have information that all the Serbs tried to attack those that came back and that international police reacted and in that combat between Serbs and international forces one policemen of IPTF was injured."
SUPER CAPTION: Hasan Muratovic, Bosnian Prime Minister

I-FOR's current mandate is due to expire on December 20 and government leaders from many contributing nations have made no secret of their desire to get out sooner rather than later.

Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ] ​​
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]


You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]

свернуть