CROATIAN AUTHORITIES BEGIN EXHUMATION IN OKUCANI AREA

OKUCANI, Oct 25 (Hina) - The Croatian government commission for missing persons has begun an exhumation of Croatian civilians and soldiers killed in the Okucani area, about 150 km east of Zagreb, in 1991. Defence Ministry experts are investigating two mass grave sites near the Zagreb-Lipovac highway which are believed to contain between 15 and 30 bodies. Government Commissioner Captain Marko Milos said on Friday that two bodies were recovered on Thursday and that the exhumation was continuing. Seven or eight bodies are believed to be buried in a mass grave in the nearby village of Cage. Also present at the exhumation are European Union observers, Slavonski Brod police, a county investigative judge and a county attorney. (hina) vm 251737 MET oct 96