Krajina troops storm towards heart of Bihac
BOSNIAN CRISIS: BATTLES
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Zagreb (Reuter) - Serb forces surging deep into the Bosnian government enclave of Bihac are intent on splitting it in two, in Bosnia's biggest offensive for many months, United Nations officials said yesterday.
Serbs invading from Croatia have advanced around six miles almost to the centre of the Bihac pocket and, with renegade Muslim militiamen attacking from the north, have gobbled up 30 square miles in less than a week.
Bosnian Serbs joined the onslaught on Sunday with artillery attacks from the south and east that may presage a tank-backed infantry assault aimed at slicing the enclave in two, isolating Bihac town in the south.
"This co-ordinated, deliberate attack on all fronts represents arguably the most considerable military action in Bosnia for many months," said Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Vernon, a UN military spokesman.
Alexander Ivanko, civilian spokesman for the UN mission in Bosnia, described the invasion as an "extraordinarily escalatory step".
"Such a flagrant violation of an international border is becoming a trademark of the Croatian Serbs whose disregard for international law is unprecedented," Mr Ivanko added.
The Bihac crisis could explode into a wider war as Croatian government troops are poised along UN truce lines near the Adriatic to attack the Krajina Serbs if Bihac looks like falling.
A Serb conquest of Bihac, a pocket sitting between self-proclaimed Serb states in Bosnia and Croatia, could dash Zagreb's ambition to overwhelm its own Serb rebels.
Bihac bestrides the most direct road and rail links between breakaway Serb domains in Croatia and Bosnia.
Bosnian Croat forces, allied to the Croatian army, have recently ploughed north along the mountain border with Croatia and have squeezed Krajina Serb supply lines.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments