IFOR TROOPS ON ALERT IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Aug 12 (Hina) - IFOR troops in Bosnia have been put on alert late last week and additional safety measures have been put in effect on Sunday for IFOR troops in the Serb entity, IFOR spokesman Bratt Boudreau said in Sarajevo on Monday, stressing that the measures had been taken because of an estimate that IFOR troops could be threatened, especially because of the tension which had arisen after Bosnian Serb troops had prevented IFOR to check military premises near Han-Pijesak, some 50 kilometres north-east of Sarajevo, in the Serb entity. #L# Boudreau stressed that IFOR troops deployed in the Serb entity had received special instructions. After Saturday's incident, IFOR ground troops commander General Michael Walker decided to withdraw NATO's officers for communication from Pale and sever direct communications with Bosnian Serb political leaders. He also stopped all flights by Bosnian Serbs and canceled the meeting with the commander of the Serb air force General Ninkovic. The military premises in Han-Pijesak had to be inspected and Bosnian Serb army commanders should better realize that on time, Boudreau warned. He added that such actions were serious violations of the military part of the Dayton Agreement which IFOR would not and could not tolerate. According to IFOR officials, their troops inspected two military premises in Han-Pijesak, as planned, but their access to the third had been obstructed. Assumptions are that Ratko Mladic, indicted by the International Tribunal in The Hague for war crimes, frequently visits the area. (hina) lm 121529 MET aug 96