116 MINES FOUND RECENTLY ON THE RIGHT BANK OF KUPA

KARLOVAC, June 17 (Hina) - Croatian pyrotechnicians, called 'Mungosi' have cleared of mines about 30,000 square metres in the Karlovac area, south of Zagreb, clearing of mines about 2,600 square metres a day. Up to now, they have worked in the areas of Turanj, Sajevac, Kabari and Malici. They removed mines from the area where the Josipdol-Vojnovac power transmission lines passes, and have been clearing of mines the former military barracks of Mekusje and Kamensko, as well as Karlovac's main sewer, the dairy factory, and the settlement of Poloj. The mine clearance is being carried out also in the Petrinja area, Sisak-Moslavina County. While searching for mines the roads and accesses to ferries passing across the Kupa River and the area of the electricity grid, Croatian special policemen have cleared of mines more than 65,000 square metres. They have recently found 116 mines and explosive devices on the right bank of the Kupa and in nearby villages. On Tuesday, Karlovac County Prefect Vlado Jelkovec, the head of the 'Mungosi' base, Stjepan Hrebec, the Lucko-based anti-terrorist unit's deputy commander, Drazen Curkovic, special police and Karlvoac-based UN mines centre's officials, held a meeting in Karlovac to discuss this problem. They said that reconstruction of war-ravaged houses and speedier return of displaced persons depended on mine clearance in villages on the right banks of the Kupa and Korana rivers along the former confrontation line. (hina) jn mš 171632 MET jun 97