MAN KILLED IN INCIDENT WITH BELI MANASTIR POLICE

( Editorial: --> 8691 ) ZAGREB, Dec 16 (Hina) - One man was killed on Monday evening while trying to break into the Beli Manastir police station, in the UN- administered part of eastern Croatia. The man, whose identity was later determined, tried to sneak in through the back entrance of the police station in Beli Manastir on Monday 9 P.M., the office of the Croatian assistant interior minister said in a statement on Tuesday. The officer on duty noticed the man crawling between the door and the reception desk, and asked him to stop. The man hid and fired several shots at the officer, wounding him in the left arm. After the officer fired back, the attacker threw a hand grenade, which exploded without hurting the officer. Taking advantage of the explosion, the attacker ran towards the officer, shooting, and the officer shot back. At that moment, the officer received back-up from the police station emergency squad. After surrounding the area of the attack, they found badly injured attacker 20 metres from the spot of the incident and immediately called the ambulance. He died on the way to the Beli Manastir Hospital, according to the statement. It has been determined that the 41-year-old attacker was born in Osijek. He lived in Beli Manastir until June 1997, when he moved to Yugoslavia. He was found with a revolver of Yugoslavian brand "Crvena Zastava", cal 7.62 mm, an ID issued by former illegal Serb authorities in eastern Croatia, and a portable radio for undercover communicating. The investigating judge of the Osijek County Court and the deputy County state attorney carried out an on-the-spot investigation. Assistant interior minister Josko Moric immediately arrived on the spot. Moric said that the Croatian Ministry of Interior Affairs will continue to guarantee personal safety and the safety of property of all eastern Croatian citizens through the Transitional Police Force, regardless of the danger the policemen might encounter in their work. (hina) ha jn 161204 MET dec 97