BOSNIAN ARMY COPTER CARRIES OFF SURPRISE ATTACK ON SERB POSITIONS

POSITIONS $ SARAJEVO, Apr 12 (Hina) - A Bosnian army combat helicopter attacked Bosnian Serb positions near the central-Bosnian town of Donji Vakuf before dawn, UN military observers told a Sarajevo press conference. The helicopter managed to launch about 20 missiles before Serb troops started shooting at it from anti-aircraft cannons. Undaunted, the copter turned westwards and vanished in the direction of Koskani. According to UN military observers, heavy fighting between Bosnian army and Serb forces was recorded W. of Tesanj, northern Bosnia, where 450 detonations were counted this morning. Much shellfire was exchanged in the Mt Vlasic area. UN observers in charge of counting shells registered no less than 173 detonations near the Komar pass only. Fighting also stepped up on the Majevica front, where 450 detonations were counted yeserday. Observers were expecting a large-scale Serb offensive, on the grounds that considerable reinforcements were being hauled from Serbia, both along the northern-Bosnian corridor and by helicopter. No major clashes were recorded in western Bosnia yesterday and his morning. Bihac-based HVO (Croatian Defence Council) commander, Ivan Prsa, said that HVO and Bosnian troops held strategic peaks of Mt Pljesivica and controlled the Bosnian-Croatian border in that area, in a statement carried by the Sarajevo media. (hina) as 121500 MET apr 95