CROATIAN TROOPS GRADUALLY WITHDRAW, REBEL SERBS REMAIN

ZAGREB, May 17 (Hina) - Croatian army forces were gradually withdrawing from UN-patrolled separation zones while rebel Serbs remained in those areas, UN spokesman Christopher Gunness told reporters in Zagreb today. The Croatian army had significantly reduced its presence in the separation zone of former UN Sector South, Col. Walt Natynczyk said. He specified that 80 Croatian army troops were still in the former UN Sector South this morning. Another 250 Croatian troops were reported in the former Sector East and about 1,200 in Sector North. However, rebel Serbs have not withdrawn a single soldier from the buffer zones. There were about 350 to 400 Serb troops in Sector East, 100 in Sector South and 1,400 in Sector North, Natynczyk said. Gunness said that tensions were the highest in the former Sector North where both sides maintained a high level of combat readiness. The Serbs started a military exercise in Eastern Slavonia yesterday, involving 40 tanks, artillery and infantry, Gunness said, adding that the exercise stopped after UNCRO filed a strong protest. He recalled that Croatia had pledged an unconditional withdrawal of its armed forces from the buffer zones regardless of the Serbs. UNCRO was in close contact with the UN headquarters in New York, reporting on the progress of the withdrawal. (Hina) mm bk vm as 171614 MET may 95