NATO AIRCRAFT HINDER HUMANITARIAN FLIGHT OF HVO HELICOPTER

MOSTAR, Jan 2 (Hina) - The NATO aircraft let off two bursts of fire and forced a Croatian Defence Council (HVO) helicopter to suspend the humanitarian flight to Nova Bila. The helicopter should have evacuated the seriously wounded from the Franciscan hospital, said the Herzeg-Bosnian Defence Ministry on Sunday evening. The HVO informed UNPROFOR about the humanitarian flight to Nova Bila on 31 December 1993 at 21:30 hours. That operation was organized in order to evacuate seriously wounded persons from the Franciscan hospital. In spite of the fact that the flight was announced and the UNPROFOR was informed about it, the NATO aircraft let off two short bursts of fire and forced the helicopter to suspend the flight at 21:55 hours and return to its base. The Croatian side was very surprised by that act, as it is the only side which clearly declared that it will not disturb humanitarian operations, said the same source adding that Moslem convoys passed undisturbed across the territory under the HVO control. 021858 MET jan 94