SFOR SOLDIERS KILL BOSNIAN SERB SUSPECTED OF WAR CRIMES

SARAJEVO, Jan 9 (Hina) - Members of the international Stabilisation Force (SFOR) on Saturday killed a Bosnian Serb suspected of war crimes, while he was trying to resist arrest. SFOR spokesman Glen Chamberlain told Hina that the 39-year-old Dragan Gagovic was shot in self-defence by SFOR soldiers on a road near Foca, eastern Bosnia. According to Chamberlain, Gagovic charged in his vehicle towards SFOR soldiers and they had no other choice but to open fire in self- defence. The operation had been carefully planned because the international forces wanted to avoid anyone being injured during the arrest. However, in the situation that occurred opening fire was unavoidable. Shortly after the incident, Gagovic's body was transported to a hospital, where he was officially pronounced dead. Dragan Gagovic was on the list of war crime suspects which was made known by The Hague war crimes tribunal, which also issued an arrest warrant for him. The town where Gagovic had been hiding since the end of the war in Bosnia has since long been described as a place where most of the war crime suspects are hiding. Claims have been made that the former Bosnian Serb leader and war crime suspect Radovan Karadzic is hiding in Foca as well. (hina) rml