DRAMATIC APPEAL BY BOSNIAN CROAT GENERAL FOR HELP TO BIHAC

MOSTAR, Dec 14 (Hina) - Several children and women have been killed in the last two days in Serb attacks on the centre of Bihac, a commander of the Bihac Croatian Defence Council (HVO), General Vlado Santic, said this afternoon. Serbs used an entire arsenal of rockets, Gen. Santic said in a phone interview with Mostar Croatian Radio. Serb major offensive actions came from the direction of Licko Petrovo Selo and Pljesevica, occupied Croatian areas. The HVO soldiers were defending the Zegar, Kriz and Vedro Polje trouble spots which were exposed to assaults from Serb forces from Lapac, Plitvice, and some units from the Knin Corps (Serb paramilitaries from UNPAs of Croatia, Sectors North and South), he said. Gen. Santic issued a dramatic appeal for help saying that Bihac was facing the same fate as Vukovar. Three Croat citizens yesterday died of starvation, he added. Eighty tonnes of humanitarian aid, that had been dispatched to Bihac several days ago, is to be distributed to 200,000 people. The humanitarian situation was very grave. Seven thousand Croats in Bihac are homeless and cannot find shelter, Gen. Santic said. (hina) mar mms sd 141632 MET dec 94