GOVT TROOPS ADVANCE IN NW BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, May 20 (Hina) - Bosnian army northwestern Fifth Corps units were holding firmly their new positions in little town of Ripac, south-west of Bihac, and were making some further advances, UN observers said. They quoted local sources as saying the government troops have controlled the village of Lohovo, west bank of Una river, since yesterday. Lohovo was previously reported to be last isolated pocket of Serb resistance. The UN commanding officer for Bihac area visited Ripac yesterday and, according to the UN-spokesman in Sarajevo, made himself sure that no civilians were left in the town. The officer however saw no burnt houses, thus denying the previous reports, saying that Bosnian army was systematically setting houses on fire, while entering Ripac. He registered four burnt buildings within his eyesight along the Una river valley, but outside of the area. The International Red Cross spokeswoman Nina Winquist said that Serb refugees who fled the area, were mainly in Bosanski Petrovac, 50 km south-east of Bihac, and in Donji Lapac, in Serb- controlled Croatian territory. The Red Cross officials, based in Serb-controlled northwestern Bosnia, reported as seeing large groups of "hundreds or even thousands" Serb refugees from western Slavonia, heading for another Serb-controlled Croatian territory of eastern Slavonia. (Hina) jn bk 201406 MET may 95