SEVEN PEOPLE SUSPECTED OF MURDER OF BOSNIAN CROAT FAMILY

SARAJEVO, Dec 25 (Hina) - The police forces of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina are conducting an intensive search for seven persons suspected of involvement in the murder of three members of a Croat family from the village of Kostajnica near Konjic in Herzegovina, Federation Interior Minister Ramo Maslesa told reporters in Sarajevo on Wednesday. #L# Speaking at a special press conference he called to explain the circumstances of the grave crime which occurred on Christmas Eve and which has alarmed the Bosnian public, Maslesa said there were no indications that the murder was caused by inter-ethnic hatred and that the suspects were people of different nationalities known from before for involvement in grave crimes. "At this moment we absolutely cannot talk about inter-ethnic hatred as the motive for the murder," Maslesa said. Despite this, the police are taking the crime very seriously and are doing all to find the perpetrators as soon as possible, he added. The investigation is headed by a special team organised by the head of the federal police, Zlatko Miletic, with a large number of police officers from Sarajevo and Herzegovina-Neretva cantons providing support. According to available information, around 22 pm on Christmas Eve a still unidentified man called on the Andjelic family, of whom seven were at home at the time. After a short argument, the man, who was wearing a mask and carried a semiautomatic rifle, opened fire, killing on the spot Andjelko Andjelic (born in 1935) and his daughter Mara (1955). The other daughter, Zorka (1973), sustained serious injuries in the shooting and died later in the Konjic hospital. Andjelic's son Marinko (1972) was wounded as well, but his life is not in danger. Minister Maslesa said the crime had to be thoroughly investigated because the security situation in Kostajnica had so far been extremely good and the return of Croat refugees to the area was unobstructed. (hina) rml