POLICE SUCCESSFULLY STOP ROCKET LAUNCH ATTEMPT

( Editorial: --> 6826 ) SPLIT, Jan 23 (Hina) - An incident caused by a war invalid who wielded a rocket launcher in Split on Friday ended without any victims. The man was apprehended and taken to hospital. According to Split County police head Marko Bekavac, Homeland War veteran Vladimir Benac, aged 34, this morning ran his car into the glass-panelled side of the Split County Police building breaking a window. Benac stepped out of the car and aimed a rocket launcher at the building. Many people were at a counter inside the building at that moment, Bekavac told reporters. Bekavac convinced Benac to talk. Together with a representative of the Croatian army and the president of the association of Homeland War disabled persons, he managed to convince Benac to surrender the weapon, "the possession of which is a criminal offence in itself", Bekavac said. Everything was over by 12.30 hours. It was an extremely complex situation, Bekavac said, but revealed no more on the incident. Members of the special police force, firemen and emergency room staff were engaged in resolving the case. Bekavac did not mention the taking of hostages, as reported earlier today in the first unofficial reports. Police are unaware of the reasons behind Benac's excess, but say it was not his first and believe he needs medical assistance. (hina) ha jn 232111 MET jan 98