BOSNIAN PARTIES ORDER TO HAND OVER ANTI-AIRCRAFT WEAPONS

SARAJEVO, March 9 (Hina) - The commander of the NATO-led peace Implementation Force (IFOR) in Bosnia, Admiral Leighton Smith, ordered the Bosnian parties on Saturday to hand over anti- aircraft weapons or place them under NATO control. The measure was in line with the Dayton peace agreement and its aim was to ensure full safety of NATO aircraft and create conditions for gradual restoration of civilian transport in the entire country, IFOR spokesman Herman Breckmann told a press conference in Sarajevo. All the three parties were bound by the peace agreement to collect all surface-to-air missiles, mobile anti-aircraft systems and other anti-aircraft weapons of 20-mm calibre and higher and put them in specified places within 90 days after the signing of the peace agreement. Breckman said that the Bosnian army would concentrate its weapons in collection points near Bihac, Zenica and Ribnica; the Bosnian Serbs would do the same near Banja Luka, Sokolac and Bijeljina; and the Croat Defence Council (HVO) would collect their weapons near Capljina, Vitez and Gorazde. All the sides would also have to give IFOR an accurate list of all anti-aircraft weapons at their disposal. The collected weapons would be placed under NATO control and the parties would be allowed to use them only for training purposes with advance notice authorized by the IFOR commander. Should there be any violations of the agreement, local NATO commanders could seize the weapons and keep them for up to 30 days. In the absence of an acceptable explanation for such incidents, the weapons would be destroyed, Breckmann said. (hina) vm 091635 MET mar 96