CROAT POLICEMAN IN CENTRAL BOSNIA KILLED BY EXPLOSIVE DEVICE

( Editorial: --> 1041 ) TRAVNIK, July 31 (Hina) - A policeman was killed and one person was lightly wounded in an explosion which took place in Travnik, central Bosnia, at 5.55 A. M. Friday. According to the head of Travnik police Franjo Grganovic, the device exploded in a parking lot in the immediate vicinity of the police department, while policeman Ante Valjan, born 1973, was returning home from work. He succumbed to the wounds shortly afterwards at Travnik's hospital. Another person was injured in the explosion, Muhamed Gajic, who lives nearby. The site was visited this afternoon by Central Bosnia Canton Deputy Prefect Ivan Saric and associates. According to Grganovic, an investigation is being headed by the president of the Cantonal Court Zuhrija Cosic and cantonal prosecutor Marinko Jurcevic. There is still no information on the circumstances of the policeman's death, but it is known that Valjan was killed by a mine planted in the PD parking lot in the immediate vicinity of Travnik's main street. It is believed that the explosive device, which was planted by a trash can, was activated by a remote control. It is also supposed the perpetrator had an optical connection with the explosive device. Just before Valjan left to go home, two policemen shortly had exited the PD building, went to official cars on the parking lot and immediately returned to work without noticing anything unusual. This led to the assumption that the perpetrator was following the comings and goings on the parking lot waiting for a specific person. "I want to believe that, unlike in the earlier murder of Travnik policeman Bilic this June and the murder of five Croat returnees in 1997, the investigation will be effective, and that the wave of murder of Croats in Travnik will finally stop", said Grganovic. (hina) ha 311836 MET jul 98