SOME BANGLADESHI UN TROOPS TO BE REMOVED FROM WEST BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Dec 7 (Hina) - Some Bangladeshi UN troops could soon be removed from western Bosnia, UNPROFOR spokesman, Jan-Dirk von Merveldt, said in Sarajevo today. But he denied that such a move meant the beginning of an UNPROFOR withdrawal from Bosnia pointing out that it simply meant a 'decrease in the number of UN peace keepers deployed in Bosnia'. "At this stage no one is contemplating the withdrawal of UN troops from the entire Bosnian area," he said. There were plans to withdraw 400 of the 1200 Bangladeshi troops from western Bosnia and have them moved to their base in Croatia. Some of the Bangladeshi peace keepers were to be moved because of impeded supply deliveries, Von Merveldt said. He added that UN troops there were in a very difficult situation because Serbs from occupied Croatian territories persisted in not allowing UN supply convoys free passage. UN military observers reported that Serbs had continued attacking Bihac and other unoccupied parts of western Bosnia in the last 24 hours. But the attacks were not as severe as in recent days. Serbs were trying to seize control of a water pump near the village of Klokot, UN sources said. The Bosnian Army managed to stop them, but Serbs would not back down. Defence lines remained the same on the western Bosnian front. (hina) jn sd mms 071338 MET dec 94