CROATS AND SERBS EXCHANGE POWS NEAR ZADAR

ZADAR, May 25 (Hina) - An exchange of prisoners of war, civilians and bodies of dead soldiers took place shortly after 3 p.m. today at a UN check point in Zemunik near the central Adriatic port of Zadar. Rebel Croatian Serbs and Bosnian Serbs released 42 Croatian army and Croat Defence Council (HVO) soldiers and three civilians. They also handed over six bodies. The Croatian army and the HVO released 42 Serb troops, three civilians and 21 dead bodies. The swap was carried out in the presence of UN peacekeepers. International Red Cross officials were not present. According to Croatian army POW exchange commissioner Maj. Ivan Grujic, ICRC officials refused to attend because they had been denied access to Croats held in a Kamenica prison in Bosnia- Herzegovina. Some of the released Croats spent over 30 months in prison. (Hina) bk 251948 MET may 95