MILITARY FACILITIES AND PLANTS IN BANJA LUKA BEING CHECKED

SARAJEVO/BANJA LUKA, Nov 6 (Hina) - British soldiers, deployed within the international Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia- Herzegovina, on Wednesday began a search of facilities in Banja Luka which are used by the Serb entity's armed forces. #L# A spokesman for the SFOR told reporters the inspection commenced with a search of the airport of Mahovljani and the military barracks in the Banja Luka suburb of Zaluzani. Spokesman Nigel Fontaine said this was a part of regular inspections of facilities where arms or military equipment were stored, which SFOR conducted in line with its mandate in Bosnia- Herzegovina. He said the latest search had no connection with a recent scandal involving the delivery of spare parts and military equipment to Iraq. SFOR troops have been deployed around Bosnian Serb facilities and plants since Tuesday. The entity's authorities were notified of the action 24 hours before its start. At the same time when the SFOR began its inspection, representatives of the Serb entity's army general staff entered the plants of the "Kosmos" and "Cajavec" factories in Banja Luka, which manufacture military equipment and weapons. The general staff reported that in coming days they would check business contracts these factories had concluded with partners in the country and abroad. "Kosmos" and "Cajavec" have already been mentioned as factories which might be engaged in the illicit sale of military equipment to Iraq. Before the war, these two plants manufactured sophisticated equipment such as radars for T-84 tanks. (hina) ms