Heavy fighting in Bihac

CNN
July 29, 1995
12:00 p.m. EDT
Zagreb

It may be Saturday, but as usual the forces fighting in Bosnia aren't taking the weekend off, especially in the Bihac region. Along the northern and western confrontation lines, Bosnian Serbs have used tank and artillery attacks against Bosnian government forces defending Bihac. That, according to U.N. Zagreb Spokesman Chris Gunness.

There has been no shifting of the confrontation lines indicating that both sides are consolidating their positions. Meanwhile Croat and Bosnian Croat allies are consolidating recent gains in Grahovo and Glamoc and are moving west towards Donji Vakuf.

Reports reaching the United Nations indicate that 13,000 Serb refugees have fled into areas under Serb control in central Bosnia. Seven thousand of those are reported to have slept the night in the open air. The refugees are heading in the direction of Jajce, a town south of the Bosnian Serb stronghold of Banja Luka.

International agencies are trying to gain access to the refugees but are being blocked by Bosnian Serb forces. A UNHCR official warns of a looming humanitarian tragedy in central Bosnia.

There are some stocks in Banja Luka to be moved south, but UNHCR warehouses in Bihac are completely empty. Mr. Gunness says 180,000 people in the Bihac area are to some degree reliant on relief supplies.

The spokesman also reports mobilizations in Croatia by Croatian army forces facing Serb occupied Krajina and by Krajina Serb forces inside the Krajina region.

Heavy fighting in Bihac

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