SOME PRISONERS FREED, OTHERS AWAIT EXCHANGE

SARAJEVO, Jan 27 (Hina) - Bosnia's former foes began Saturday to exchange prisoners of war seized in 42 months of fighting. A large swaps have been staged at the Sarajevo airport, and at three other localities in the country, the three factions' representatives and officials with the International Red Cross Committee told reporters Saturday. In Mostar, 127 Serbs -- many of them captured during offensives last fall by Bosnian Croats in western Bosnia --were loaded on to buses to be driven to Sarajevo airport. They were released the prison at Rodoc, near Mostar. The Bosnian government side released 78 prisoners from the prisons in Vares, Tarcin (central Bosnia) and Sarajevo. Bosnian Serbs however failed to bring to the airport any of the prisoners they currently hold. #L# Berislav Pusic, head of the Bosnian Croat exchange commission in Mostar, said that his side has now completely fulfilled its obligations from the peace agreement. Some prisoners remained in captivity, he added, meaning those charged for war crimes. Besides Serbs, these include four "Mujahideen" volunteers from Morocco, Iraq and Iran. Pusic said that Croat side still expected its 35 troops, captured by Serb forces to be released. His Bosnian Serb counterpart Dragan Bulajic said the Serbs were ready to release 180 prisoners, 150 Bosniacs and 30 Croats. He tried to explain the fact that none of them was released today by technical problems, saying that he had received official information too late. Bulajic however said that the prisoners, listed by the ICRC, would be released on Sunday. Amor Masovic of the Bosnian government commission voiced doubt over the Serb pledge. He said that the government would continue to search for the missing persons. (Hina) bk 272001 MET jan 96