BOSNIAN GOVT AND SERBS BEGIN TALKS ON ANTI-SNIPING AGREEMENT

SARAJEVO, May 19 (Hina) - UN officials have begun intense negotiations with the Bosnian government and Bosnian Serb officials to put an end to sniper attacks in the Sarajevo area. Both sides were ready to comply with an anti-sniping agreement which was signed last year but effective only for a short time, UN spokesman Alexander Ivanko told reporters in Sarajevo today. It seemed that sniper attacks caused serious problems on both sides and it was realistic to expect that an agreeement on this issue would be reached, Ivanko said. He added that the agreement would no doubt contribute to the calming of the situation in the city. A civilian was killed and two were wounded in central Sarajevo yesterday. A UN investigation showed that bullets had been fired from the Serb-held suburb of Grbavica. It was relatively calm in Sarajevo today although explosions of four mortar shells were registered on the outskirts of the city in the morning. Two Russian soldiers, who were wounded yesterday by an anti- personnel mine, and a UNCIVPOL official, who was wounded in a car accident late last night, were to be evacuated today on a UN plane. Another UNCIVPOL official who was in the car, was killed in the accident. The two policeman were Irish, but their identity was not revealed. (hina) mm rm 191522 MET may 95