WEST MOSTAR POLICE AND MOSLEM CIVILIANS CLASH IN DOWNTOWN MOSTAR

MOSTAR $ MOSTAR, Feb 10 (Hina) - During a carnival celebration in the western part of Mostar on Monday, which attracted several thousand people, commotion occurred suddenly at about 14.00 hrs among many children and other citizens. While the carnival parade was marching down Bulevar Street, two shots were heard. After that the crowd began to disperse quickly. An ambulance and then several cars of SFOR arrived at the spot immediately. However, the carnival went on for several minutes when the leader of the event asked the gathered citizens to leave the place in peace and with no panic. The police of western Mostar announced a statement about Monday's incident saying that at about 14.00 hrs a group of several hundred Bosniaks (Moslems), that was not announced, was moving toward the place of the carnival from eastern part of Mostar. "Police from the western part of the town tried to prevent a contact between the carnival participants and members of Bosniak extremists, when confrontation occurred in which 18 policemen were wounded by cold steel, three of them sustaining serious, injuries and one police car was completely destroyed," the statement said. After the confrontation the Bosniak extremists withdrew to the eastern part of the town, according to the statement. The situation in Mostar is very tense, the statement said at the end. (hina) mm mš 101749 MET feb 97