SARAJEVO, Feb 3 (Hina) - Italian IFOR soldiers have taken over control of the Sarajevo suburb of Grbavica, after the Bosnian Serb forces withdrew from the suburb which is to be handed over to the Federation of
Bosnia-Herzegovina.
SARAJEVO, Feb 3 (Hina) - Italian IFOR soldiers have taken over
control of the Sarajevo suburb of Grbavica, after the Bosnian Serb
forces withdrew from the suburb which is to be handed over to the
Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. #L#
General Carlo Cabigiosu, commander of the Italian IFOR
soldiers in Bosnia, said that 'Garibaldi' brigade had some 2,500
soldiers who were supported by some 900 Portuguese soldiers. The
Italian and Portuguese soldiers would control former separation
lines in Grbavica, as well as those on the Jewish cemetery and in
northern Sarajevo suburbs. They would also control the road which,
via Pale, leads to Gorazde.
General Cabigiosu further said that some 400 of his soldiers
would provide additional security to the residents in the central
city area in the transitional period until March 19.
IFOR ground force deputy commander, General Mike Willcocks,
said that IFOR carefully watched the withdrawal of forces from the
areas which by midnight should be handed over to the opposite
entity. Along with the Sarajevo area, these areas were also the
territory of Mrkonjic Grad and Sipovo, the Gorazde corridor, the
area along the Neretva river, north of Mostar, as well as a part of
Posavina region near the town of Odzak.
Willcocks said that one should not doubt that all sides would
meet their commitments.
NATO soldiers would prevent any attempt to enter the zones
which belong to the other entity, Willcocks said. NATO would
protect with same determination the separation zones on former
front lines, he added. In the last two weeks, 14 cases of violation
of those zones had been registered, mainly because the soldiers
were not familiar with the territory. NATO soldiers had confiscated
600 pieces of arms in those incidents, Willcocks said.
(hina) rm
031738 MET feb 96