British U.N. Peacekeepers Engage in Tank Fire Exchange with Bosnian Serb Forces

Heavy fighting between British U.N. peacekeepers and Bosnian Serb forces erupted northeast of Sarajevo, leading to a prolonged exchange of tank fire. The skirmish, which took place near the town of Saraci, began late Friday but was not reported until Sunday. The U.N. peacekeepers, armed with eight Leopard tanks, fired 72 rounds at the Bosnian Serbs, but no U.N. troops were wounded. The area is a critical transportation point for both the Bosnian Serb and Muslim-led Bosnian armies, with heavy fighting feared to erupt if the peace process is not accelerated.

Key Takeaways:

The British U.N. peacekeepers were targeted by Bosnian Serb forces with anti-tank missiles, prompting an exchange of tank fire near Saraci.
Eight Leopard tanks, armed with 120 mm guns, fired 72 rounds at the Bosnian Serbs during the prolonged fight, but no U.N. troops were wounded.
The area is a key transportation point for both the Bosnian Serb and Muslim-led Bosnian armies, with heavy fighting feared to erupt if the peace process is not accelerated.
U.N. military commanders believe that heavy fighting may erupt if the peace process is not expedited, particularly in the Brcko pocket, where U.N. troops are deployed.
Tension remains high in the area, with Bosnian government troops attempting to occupy positions on the east side of the Drina river formerly occupied by the Bosnian Serb army.
U.N. troops in Gorazde are spread too thin to effectively monitor all troop movement in the two-mile exclusion zone, with only 500 troops deployed.
A U.N. military observer report dated April 30 stated that Bosnian Serb military engineers are building a major resupply route from Foca to Cajnic, potentially aiding the Bosnian Serb army in resupplying their forces.
The area is also plagued by landmines, with U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees spokesman Peter Kessler reporting that the land around the water plant is littered with landmines.

Statistics:

72 rounds were fired by U.N. peacekeepers during the prolonged exchange of tank fire.
8 Leopard tanks were involved in the engagement with the Bosnian Serb forces.
500 U.N. troops are deployed in Gorazde, with an additional 120 scheduled to take up positions on Sunday afternoon.
The exclusion zone around Gorazde spans 12.5 miles (20 km) in length.
40 heavily armed Bosnian Serb troops are estimated to remain in the eastern part of the two-mile exclusion zone, according to a U.N. military observer report.
13 miles (20 km) long is the length of the supply route being built by Bosnian Serb military engineers from Foca to Cajnic.

Sources:

U.N. Protection Force spokesman Cmdr. Eric Chaperon
U.N. PROFOR spokesman Maj. Dacre Holloway
British U.N. peacekeepers
Bosnian government-controlled Radio Sarajevo
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees spokesman Peter Kessler
UPI (United Press International)
Hrvoje Hranjski in Zagreb
Joseph Chrysdale in Belgrade