INCIDENT AT U.N. CHECKPOINT NEAR KARLOVAC

KARLOVAC, July 15 (Hina) - An incident occurred this morning at the U.N. Protection Force (UNPROFOR) checkpoint at the Karlovac section of Mostanje (some 50 km. S. of the Croatian capital), where displaced persons have been impeding the passage of UNPROFOR for 15 days. This morning UNPROFOR members tried to push their way through the blockade when the displaced people let a vehicle of the Red Cross transporting the wounded from Velika Kladusa (western Bosnia) to the Karlovac hospital, pass the checkpoint. The displaced persons formed a human shield to prevent a passage of trucks, and the Polish UNPROFOR battalion soldiers attacked the refugees and physically assaulted the demonstrators. The Polish officers took the initiative in the fights. One of them draw a pistol out, threatened against displaced persons shouting that demonstrations must be over. In the incident a journalist of the Zagreb-based VJESNIK, Trajko Grkovski, was also attacked, and UNPROFOR members took away a camera from him, and destroyed it. The situation calmed down at about 11:00 a.m., and the UNPROFOR vehicles returned to the places from which they had commenced trips. 151654 MET jul 94