EXHUMATION OF MASS GRAVE NEAR GOBNIK COMPLETED

( Editorial: --> 0119 ) SARAJEVO, April 28 (Hina) - A team of forensic scientists from the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) completed the exhumation of a mass grave in Brnica near Zvornik (eastern Bosnia) this weekend. The mass grave contained bodies of Bosniaks-Moslems thought to have been killed when Bosnian Serb troops occupied Srebrenica in the summer of 1995. United Nations spokeswoman, Kelly Moore, told reporters in Sarajevo on Tuesday that archaeological and forensic evidence had been found which proved that the grave had been previously dug up. This coincides with information already received that somebody had been digging through the grave in an attempt to cover up evidence of horrifying crimes that had been committed during the Srebrenica operation, Moore said. Despite efforts to cover up the evidence, however, forensic experts have exhumed a large amount of remains of bodies, clothing, footwear and several personal items. On the opposite side of the valley from the mess grave, investigators found about 1,500 fired gun shells and some human bones. According to Kelly Moore, all the gathered evidence has been taken to the ICTY morgue in Visoki, near Sarajevo, where it will be examined in order to identify the bodies. The remains will then be turned over to local authorities. Forensics experts have conducted additional examinations of the Brnica region to make sure there were not any other mass graves in the area. (hina) lm/mrb 281519 MET apr 98