BANJA LUKA BISHOP NOT KIDNAPPED, DIOCESE REPRESENTATIVE SAYS

ZAGREB, May 5 (Hina/IKA) - "It is not true that the Bishop of Banja Luka, Franjo Komarica, and several priests have been arrested and will be killed if Croatia doesn't allow the Serbs to leave the Okucani area, as Knin radio said yesterday," the Zagreb-based office of the Banja Luka diocese said today. "However, the bishop, priests and believers are still in danger - these threats could still be realised," the statement said, noting that several Catholic Croats had been arrested as hostages. Armed Serbs from the Okucani area, who had fled to Bosnia, yesterday expelled nuns from monasteries in Bosanski Aleksandrovac and Nova Topola. Stripped of their belongings and documents, the ten nuns were put on International Red Cross buses and taken to the BOsanska Gradiska bridge. Then they were made to walk to the Croatian side. A representative of the diocese, Mile Anicic, told Hina by telephone this afternoon that Bishop Komarica had been advised not to leave the house for his own safety. The ten nuns arrived in Zagreb this afternoon, Anicic said. (hina) jn as 052040 MET may 95