BH CROAT INJURED IN INCIDENT WITH SFOR

LIVNO/MOSTAR, Oct 8 (Hina) - A Bosnian Croat official sustained serious injuries in an incident with NATO-led peacekeeping troops in the Drvar area of western Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday night, local political and hospital authorities said on Wednesday. The commissioner of the Herzeg-Bosnian cantonal government for Drvar, Borivoj Malbasic, suffered concussion and was admitted to a hospital in Livno after the incident which occurred at Martin Brod, about 30 km away from Drvar. Malbasic suffered concussion after receiving several blows to the head and the chest, Dr Branko Peric said, adding that no bones had been fractured. "If there is no internal bleeding, we can expect a more stable condition in the next few days," he added. The head of the canton, Mirko Bakovic, and cantonal premier Filip Andric issued a statement on Wednesday saying that international organizations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the NATO-led Stabilisation Force and the International Police Task Force, resorted to force in solving a political problem, thus violating the Dayton peace agreement. The statement said that the international organisations, including the UNHCR, had organised the return of Serb refugees to the houses in which displaced Croats were accommodated without previously contacting the local Croat authorities. The UNHCR regional office in Mostar this evening confirmed in a statement that an incident between a member of the SFOR and a commissioner of the Herzeg-Bosna cantonal government for the municipality of Drvar did take place in the village of Martin Brod at 19.00 hours yesterday. According to office spokesman Adriane Quentier, the vehicle carrying Borivoje Malbasic turned at a Canadian SFOR soldier and hit him, which resulted in the Canadian soldier's accidentally breaking the vehicle's windshield with his gun. He was not injured, Quentier explained, adding Malbasic and the driver then came out of the vehicle and were surrounded by SFOR soldiers, who searched them for weapons. Quentier said that neither Malbasic nor his driver were injured and were released after the SFOR soldiers had found no weapons on them. The SFOR is presently in Martin Brod providing security for 27 Serbs who yesterday returned to 14 houses accompanied by the UNHCR, the spokesman said, adding the return had been previously arranged with Malbasic. According to Quentier, the Serb returnees' houses carried notices saying the houses were to be repaired for the accommodation of Croats. UNHCR claims the houses belong to Serbs, Quentier said. When Malbasic arrived on the spot, he told the returnees they must go back, Quentier said, adding a group of Croats then arrived to the village and tension mounted. Yesterday afternoon, Malbasic ordered that the things brought to the houses by the Serb returnees be thrown out, the spokesman said. After workers of a repair company started throwing things out of windows, UNHCR asked the SFOR and the IPTF for help, she added. After they surrounded the village the situation calmed down, but it was then that the incident mentioned earlier took place, Quentier concluded. (hina) vm ha 082242 MET oct 97