SFOR TROOPS EVACUATE CARDINAL AND CROATS FROM DERVENTA

( Editorial: --> 9072 ) SARAJEVO/DERVENTA/TUZLA, April 23 (Hina) - SFOR troops on Thursday night evacuated Cardinal Vinko Puljic and another 55 Bosnian Croats from Derventa, after they had been besieged almost the entire day at the local church. Spokeswoman for Tuzla-based SFOR Multinational Division North, Charry Handly, told Hina that after 5pm, troops from the Nordic- Polish brigade organised two bullet-proof buses for the blockaded Croats and the Sarajevo Archbishop. The buses were accompanied by NATO armoured vehicles and headed towards the Croatian border city of Slavonski Brod. Major Handly said that at the time of the departure about 150 Serbs were still surrounding the ruined church, where Cardinal Puljic had served mass. They were acting aggressively and threw two Molotov cocktails and rocks at the bus, but no one was injured. During the day local Serbs surrounded Croat refugees who had arrived in the northern Bosnian town to take part in a religious celebration. At the time of the greatest tension, the angry mass numbered up to a thousand people and hurled insults and threats at the surrounded Croats. At one stage the mob tried to set fire to the church but were stopped by local police. IPTF members were forced to withdraw at the critical stage because the Serbs threw rocks and eggs at them. SFOR said no one had been injured in today's incident, but the Serbs overturned one bus and destroyed a passenger vehicle. (Hina) mb /mr 232044 MET apr 98