NOVI SAD CORPS COMMANDER SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON

OSIJEK, May 14 (Hina) - The commander of the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) Novi Sad Corps, Dragoljub Andjelovic, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Osijek County court on Monday. Andjelovic was tried in the court of first instance in absentia for crimes against humanity and international law. The indictment read Andjelovic, as commanding officer of former JNA forces and Chetnik paramilitary troops, in October 1991 ordered the siege of the eastern Croatian town of Ilok from all sides by tanks, cannons and rocket-launchers. Besides the residents, refugees from Sarengrad, Babska and Lovas were also in the town at the time. Andjelovic then ordered legitimate Ilok authorities to hand over all weaponry so he and his troops could enter the town, threatening military action and destruction of the town. Under his orders, 4,679 people were forced to leave the town. The Novi Sad Corps commander was also charged with having ordered his troops in October 1991 to attack the towns of Lovas, Sarengrad and Babska, in which residents were mostly Croats. During the shelling of the towns and the entry of Andjelovic's troops, a large number of civilians were killed and heavily injured. The Catholic church and the Borovo factory in Lovas were torched, and most houses plundered. The exact number of civilians killed in Babska is still unknown. The church, bank, post office, local government office and the Vupik company building were levelled with the ground. Andjelovic fled to Yugoslavia before the start of the trial. An international warrant for his arrest has been issued. (hina) lml