Serbs Bombard Sarajevo in Bloody ‘Night of Horror’

Corpses bloodied the streets of Sarajevo on Friday after the fiercest Serb-led bombardment of Bosnia’s capital in two months, news reports said.

“It was a night of horror and destruction,” the Belgrade-based Tanjug news agency said.

In the neighboring state of Croatia, the historic Adriatic town of Dubrovnik came under artillery and mortar barrages from federal army batteries for the first time in six months.

“There is one hell of a battle going on, apparently to get our airport,” said Ruth Ewins, a Briton living in the port that was a tourist magnet until fighting erupted after Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia last year.

The attacks came as the U.N. Security Council considered harsh sanctions against Serbia. A vote is expected by Sunday.

Criticism of Serbia has mounted this week, and it reached a new level Thursday when Serbia’s Orthodox Church, a traditional ally, denounced the Belgrade government because of the bloodshed. Most of Serbia’s 9.5 million residents belong to the church.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher once again said the United States deplored the attacks on Sarajevo.

“As we’ve said repeatedly, we hold the Serbian civilian and military authorities in Belgrade accountable for the actions of Serbian forces in Bosnia,” Boucher said.

In Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital, Serb irregulars unleashed a nightlong barrage of fire on the city.

“Some people have in one night lost all they had in their lives. The world remains deaf to our appeals (for military intervention),” resident Pamela Grdic said by telephone.

Bosnian officials said Serb forces used multiple rocket launchers for the first time since the republic voted to secede in a referendum.

Heavy fighting continued Friday night. Serb and Muslim forces clashed in street battles in western parts of the city.

A television station broadcast what it said were intercepted radio communications in which a Yugoslav army commander ordered his forces to target the Parliament and presidency buildings. Radio reports said both buildings were hit.