FIERCE FIGHTING IN NORTH BOSNIA, CALMER IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Aug 15 (Hina) - The military commands of the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Bosnian Serb forces issued orders to their troops to halt sniping fire in the Sarajevo greater area, the U.N. Protection Force (UNPROFOR) headquarters in the Bosnian capital reported today. These orders have been given in compliance with an anti- sniping accord, signed between the two sides yesterday at Sarajevo airport. The agreement should take effect at 13:00 hrs today. Although several armed incidents were registered in Sarajevo in the last 24 hours, UNPROFOR representatives assess that yesterday's agreement could considerably contribute to calming down the tense situation in the city. Strong battles were reported from the area of Gradacac (north Bosnia, the troublespot in the Bosnian Posavina). The U.N. military observers registered 188 detonations in this crisis area near the Posavina "corridor" in the last 24 hours. Besides, another 34 detonations echoed in the region of the "corridor". They also reported 60 explosions from the area of Ribnica in the Mount Ozren battlefront (north central Bosnia), and 71 explosions on the battlefield between Vares and Olovo (central Bosnia). Fighting between Serb forces and the Bosnian army was raging in the zone of Grabez near Bihac (western Bosnia). Over 120 detonations were registered there. Fikret Abdic (the president of the self-proclaimed autonomous province of West Bosnia) released 140 soldiers of the Bosnian army's Fifth Corps on Saturday, a military spokesman for UNPROFOR, Major Rob Annink, said today in Sarajevo. (hina) mm 151333 MET aug 94