SITUATION IN BOSNIA RAPIDLY DETERIORATES - GOVERNMENT

SARAJEVO, May 8 (Hina) - Bosnian government today described the overall situation as rapidly deteriorating throughout the country, particularly in Sarajevo following the latest massacre Bosnian Serb forces had committed yesterday in the capital's suburb of Butmir. Prime Minister Haris Silajdzic said that 225 pieces of Serb heavy weaponry, including 33 tanks, were planted around Sarajevo at the moment, out of UN control. Serb forces had drawn some of the equipment from other areas, while the rest was taken out of the UN controlled arms depots. Four civilians had been killed today in Serb artillery assault on Tuzla, government said. A howitzer shell has landed at Gradacac, west of Tuzla, killing two and wounding four persons, two of them seriously. The secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Srebren Dizdar, confirmed the reports on at least two Catholic churches having been pulled down in Banja Luka. Dizdar recalled that this had happened on the same day when, two years ago, two famous Banja Luka mosques, Ferhadia and Arnaudia, were destroyed. A total of 37 Catholic churches was destroyed so far in Serb- controlled north-western Bosnia, where no military operations ever occurred. Local self-styled Serb authorities were responsible for killing of about 400 Croats-Catholics in the Banja Luka area, including four priests. According to information government had obtained of Banja Luka Bishop's office, Dizdar said, about 55,000 Croats were expelled from the area so far. Bosnian government decided to inform international community on this latest deterioration. UN and NATO would be demanded an explanation of the status of Sarajevo as "safe haven", so that government could take its own measures in order to stop Serb assaults on the civilians. (Hina) mm bk 082016 MET may 95