U.N., Serbian Troops in Faceoff Over Weapons

Guns pointed toward each other, U.N. peacekeepers faced off Monday with Bosnian Serbs over tanks, antiaircraft guns and mortars found in a weapons-free zone around Sarajevo.

It was the worst reported violation of the U.N.-ordered weapons pullback from around the capital since it took effect Feb. 21.

By late Monday, the Serbian and Canadian troops--separated by a few hundred yards--were waiting for the outcome of talks on the standoff.

At one point, Serbian forces and mines were surrounding two groups of Canadian troops, said Cmdr. Simon MacDowall, a spokesman for the U.N. peacekeepers. Serbs eventually removed the mines to allow for talks, he said.

The trouble began over the weekend when the Canadians were checking on arms discovered weeks ago and found four tanks, three antiaircraft cannons, four howitzers and 18 mortars nearby.

The guns were not pointed at Sarajevo and were in no position to strike at the capital. But the United Nations wants the guns moved north out of the zone or put in U.N. weapons collection centers.

The Serbs have agreed to withdraw or place under U.N. control all heavy weapons in a 12-mile radius around Sarajevo or face NATO air strikes. But they use a different center when measuring the zone, and argued that the arms found Monday were outside it.

Also Monday, at the United Nations, Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali proposed that NATO expand its air cover to Croatia and that the Security Council extend the U.N. mandate in the Balkans, which expires March 31, for six more months.