RELEASED SERBS ARRIVE FROM KOSOVO TO SERBIA

BELGRADE, April 17 (Hina) - The head of the Yugoslav team for the settlement of the crisis in southern Serbia, Nebojsa Covic, on Tuesday took over five released Serbs, who were abducted by armed ethnic Albanians and later set free with the mediation of international forces (KFOR). Three Serbian civilians were taken hostage by armed guerrillas on 5 March near the village of Veliki Trnovac. Two soldiers of the Army of Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro) were abducted in the same area on 21 March when they lost way while driving in a car. Three days ago all the five men were set free and taken to the KFOR base in Urosevac, where they underwent medical examinations. So far, KFOR (the NATO-led Kosovo Force) has not made public the results of the medical check-ups. The soldiers, Sasa Bulatovic and Milija Beloica, today denied their statements which they had given about their good treatment in the detention. On Tuesday they explained that they had been forced to give such statements after they were abducted. Bulatovic also denied his call on all Montenegrins to leave the Yugoslav army and return to Montenegro. Bulatovic added that they had been "tortured by power and stabbed by knives." (hina) sb ms