U.N. REPORTS SEVERE FIGHTING IN NORTHWESTERN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, March 7 (Hina) - The UN in Sarajevo today reported severe clashes between the Bosnian Moslem-led government army and rebel Moslem troops in northwestern Bosnia. The Bosnian army Fifth Corps launched an offensive in the Velika Kladusa area in a bid to regain the territory it had lost to renegade Moslem troops loyal to local politician Fikret Abdic. UN military observers reported that the 5th Corps' attack had been successful to some extent but they could not assess the situation because Abdic forces denied UN peacekeepers access to the area. UN Bangladeshi peacekeepers deployed in the Bihac pocket yesterday counted 658 explosions. Other Bosnian fronts were relatively quiet. One tank shell hit central Bihac causing no serious damage, UNPROFOR said. UN peacekeepers yesterday distributed to civilians 14 tonnes of food which remained in UN warehouses in the area. The humanitarian situation was getting worse day by day and there was no sign of new food convoys arriving in northwerstern Bosnia. (hina) mar rv 071341 MET mar 95