IPTF REPORTS INCREASED NUMBER OF INCIDENTS IN MOSTAR AREA

MOSTAR, Aug 26 (Hina) - The International Police Task Force (IPTF) in Bosnia-Herzegovina said on Tuesday that the number of incidents in the southern Herzegovina-Neretva canton had increased last week. IPTF spokeswoman Kelly Moore told a news conference in Mostar that international police had received 12 reports of incidents, including explosions, attacks, harassment, gunfire, arsons, stoning and threats of apartment eviction. In all but two incidents the victims were Moslems, she stressed. Expressing concern, Moore called on local police to thoroughly investigate those events. Spokesman for the NATO-led peace Stabilisation Force (SFOR) Gregorie Verdon said that the SFOR South-East Sector Division had been reinforced with a German battalion and a Spanish brigade as part of preparations for municipal elections due in September. He added that they would soon be joined by one Italian and one French battalion. Verdon said that SFOR troops had helped the IPTF in the inspection of police stations in Rudo, Rogatica and Cajnice on Sunday. The head of the Mostar office of the international High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Martin Garrod, expressed regrets that joint police forces had not been set up in all municipalities of the Herzegovina-Neretva canton by August 22 as agreed at a meeting of the Forum of the Federation two days earlier. He said he hoped that the process would be completed in the next few days. Garrod said that the international community considered adoption of an amendment to the cantonal constitution important. The amendment was expected to be adopted on August 29. The director of the Mostar office of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Edward Joseph, said that the case of Croat-run Mostar television proved that the OSCE would not tolerate persistent obstruction. He commended the television's apology broadcast for three days in a row. (hina) vm 262138 MET aug 97