SARAJEVO, Mar 27 (Hina) - The command of NATO's Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia on Saturday said in a statement Yugoslavia had again violated Bosnia's air space. Two helicopters with Yugoslav insignia around 11am on Saturday
entered Bosnia's air space south of Bijeljina, north-eastern Bosnia, the statement said. NATO fighter aircraft controlling air space over Bosnia immediately set out to chase the Yugoslav helicopters which returned to Yugoslav territory before being intercepted. The SFOR command warned crossing into Bosnian air space represented a clear threat to the peace and security established in Bosnia after the signing of the Dayton peace agreement. The SFOR reminded that the Yugoslav government and military were aware of bans to disturbances of Bosnian air space and must realise that the SFOR is capable of responding to any outside threat to Bosnia. The SFOR command on Friday said three Yugoslav M
SARAJEVO, Mar 27 (Hina) - The command of NATO's Stabilisation Force
(SFOR) in Bosnia on Saturday said in a statement Yugoslavia had
again violated Bosnia's air space.
Two helicopters with Yugoslav insignia around 11am on Saturday
entered Bosnia's air space south of Bijeljina, north-eastern
Bosnia, the statement said.
NATO fighter aircraft controlling air space over Bosnia
immediately set out to chase the Yugoslav helicopters which
returned to Yugoslav territory before being intercepted.
The SFOR command warned crossing into Bosnian air space represented
a clear threat to the peace and security established in Bosnia after
the signing of the Dayton peace agreement.
The SFOR reminded that the Yugoslav government and military were
aware of bans to disturbances of Bosnian air space and must realise
that the SFOR is capable of responding to any outside threat to
Bosnia.
The SFOR command on Friday said three Yugoslav MIG-29 war aircraft
had violated Bosnian air space with clearly hostile intentions. Two
aircraft were immediately shot down by NATO, while the third
managed to return to Yugoslavia.
One of the aircraft shot down fell near Teocak, 10km inside Bosnian
territory, while the location of the other one is still being
traced.
The SFOR said access to the remnants of the shot aircraft was made
difficult as they had probably fallen on mined territory.
The statement also said the pilots' fate was unknown and that they
were not in SFOR hands.
The spokeswoman for the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in
Bosnia, Alexandra Stiglmeyer, on Saturday told Hina it was up to
Bosnian authorities to decide on how to react after Yugoslavia
violated Bosnian air space.
We are not this country's government and it is Bosnian authorities
who must decide whether and what kind of political action they will
undertake, Stiglmeyer said.
Bosnia's Ambassador to the UN Muhamed Sacirbegovic on Friday
announced Bosnia would request a special session of the Security
Council, but the OHR has not received any formal notification on the
matter.
Stiglmeyer reiterated the OHR's call to all elected officials and
political leaders in Bosnia to be level-headed in the present
situation, and especially in their statements, to avoid increased
tension.
She recalled the High Representative was authorised to penalise any
individuals or political parties which might attempt to
destabilise the situation in Bosnia.
(hina) ha