U.N. BUFFERS IN CROATIA CALM, BUT TENSE - SPOKESMAN

ZAGREB, May 19 (Hina) - The situation in Croatia was calm, but tense, while a large number of soldiers was still in all UN- patrolled buffer zones, the UN spokesman in Zagreb Christopher Gunnes told the press conference Friday. He said that the UN and Croatian representatives had launched a joint inspection of the Sector North yesterday. A Croatian army (HV) battalion had withdrawn before the inspection, but some troops returned afterwards to their positions, Gunnes added, saying some 600 Croatian and over 1,000 Serb troops were still in the zone. The HV was still present in the Sector South, though it had withdrawn from the remotest positions, he said. About 100 rebel Serbs were still in this separation zone. The HV has completed its withdrawal from the eastern Slavonia (Sector East), while between 200 and 300 Serb paramilitaries remained there. Gunnes added that about 60 Croatian special police forces were also noticed in the sector. The UN spokesman said that 147 ethnic Serbs yesterday left western Slavonia and crossed to Bosnia. The Croatian army yesterday halted the UN Argentinean battalion in its attempt to patrol over the area, he said. (Hina) mm bk 191716 MET may 95