U.N. AND INTERNATIONAL POLICE SEEK POLICE REINFORCEMENTS IN DRVAR

( Editorial: --> 9299 ) SARAJEVO, April 24 (Hina) - The International Police Task Force (IPTF) has asked the Croat-Muslim Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina (FBH) to urgently send police reinforcements to the western town of Drvar where riots erupted on Friday. UN spokesman in Sarajevo, Liam McDowall, told Hina that IPTF Deputy Commissioner Mark Croker had sent the request to FBH Vice-President Vladimir Soljic. McDowall said the IPTF wanted the urgent deployment of Croat police officers from the Herceg-Bosna Canton, adding that Croker was on his way to Drvar to personally assess the situation. The UN spokesman said Croat police officers were especially being asked to protect Serbs who had recently returned to the Croat- controlled town. According to the IPTF headquarters in Sarajevo, a group of several hundred Croats who had started the disturbances in Drvar had set fire to residential buildings in which Serb returnees were housed. McDowall confirmed the municipal council and IPTF buildings had also been set on fire. He said the disturbances began when protests were held against a council meeting which had started in Drvar. Protesters threw rocks which shattered windows in the municipal building while local police managed to prevent councillors from being lynched. UN sources have told Hina that Drvar Mayor Milan Marceta had been evacuated from the town along with all UN officials under SFOR help, but the municipal chief had been hit by a rock and was suffering a head injury. McDowall claimed the incidents in Drvar could have been prevented if a professional multi-ethnic police force had been set up in the area. (Hina) jn mb /as 241800 MET apr 98