CROATIAN WAR VETERAN TESTIFIES AT MILOSEVIC TRIAL

ZAGREB/THE HAGUE, Jan 28 (Hina) - The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) attacked Dubrovnik from nine directions on October 1, 1991 with some 6,000 soldiers, while Croatian forces numbered 300 soldiers, not including police, a war veteran who participated in the defence of the town, Ivo Simunovic, said at the trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic on Tuesday. #L# Simunovic, who testified for the prosecution, spoke about the course of the attack, which he witnessed as a member of the Territorial Defence (TO). Simunovic joined the TO in August 1991 as a former JNA reserve officer. The witness spoke about preparations for defence, which he said Dubrovnik's residents, although without any heavy arms and with few infantry weapons, carried out during September 1991 under the command of Nojko Marinovic, when it became clear that the city would be attacked. The only strategy was to defend the town area, there were no plans for an offensive against the JNA, he said. Although they were inferior to the enemy in terms of manpower and arms, the Croatian soldiers put up strong resistance which slowed down the JNA's advance. The first direct attack on the town occurred on October 23, after JNA units from Trebinje and Konavle joined and from then on Dubrovnik was under siege, exposed to constant attacks on civilian targets and the old part of the city, where there were no military targets or soldiers who were ordered not to enter that part of the town, the witness said. (hina) rml