CLASHES BETWEEN BOSNIAN ARMY AND SERB FORCES IN SARAJEVO SUBURBS

SARAJEVO, Nov 6 (Hina) - Clashes between the Bosnian Army and the Serb forces raged in western suburbs of Sarajevo from 20:30 to 23:45 last night, a spokesman for UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR), Herve Gourmelon, told journalist today in Sarajevo. The Bosnian soldiers undertook an infantry attack on Ilidza from the direction of Butmir. In response to the assault Serb troops opened mortar fire at the targets in Butmir and the Bosnian Army positions, he said. Shortly after the incident Serb soldiers raided a French UN peacekeepers-controlled heavy arms depot in the nearby village of Osjek. The Serbs required from the 'blue helmets' to hand over cannons, claiming they had to defend themselves from Bosnian army assaults. The French peacekeepers tried to prevent the Serbs from grabbing the arms, but failed. The Serb forces took two 105mm cannons to target Hrasnica on the foot of Mount Igman, the UNPROFOR spokesman said. The French soldiers were utterly surprised with the Serb attack. The Osjek weapons depot is rather large, and it could not be efficiently guarded in the dark, he said. The UN soldiers twice asked the Serbs to leave the arms depot, but they refused. That is why NATO aircraft were requested to arrive at the crisis spot. The NATO planes were flying over the area for some time but carried out no action. The incidents took place within the UN-declared safe area of Sarajevo. The Serb troops left finally the arms storehouse after 23:00 hrs last night when a lull ensued. Infantry clashes between the Bosnian Army and Serb force re- erupted on the battlefront of Mount Cemerno, some 20 km. north of Sarajevo. Besides infantry skirmishes, the exchange of mortar fire was registered on the front in the last 24 hours, UNPROFOR said. UNPROFOR military observers yesterday counted 665 detonations of mortar rounds on the front of Brgule, central Bosnia. Fierce fighting continued in western Bosnia. Infantry clashes were reported yesterday from the front around the city of Bosanska Krupa. Both the Bosnian Army and the Serb troops suffered great losses, but the first front lines remained the same, the UNPROFOR spokesman said today. (hina) mms 061318 MET nov 94