Bosnia - SFOR troops take over police stations

Описание: (20 Aug 1997) T/I: 10:58:15


Soldiers of the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) on Wednesday (20/08) continued their show of strength in Banja Luka in an effort to defuse tensions between rival camps loyal to President Biljana Plavsic and hardline supporters of the former President Radovan Karadzic.
The operation came hours after Plavsic's Tuesday night (19/08) meeting with top Western mediators and the NATO stabilization force (SFOR) commander to explain her fears of a coup being mounted against her.
On Wednesday, SFOR took over a police academy which had been occupied by police loyal to the Pale hardliners.
Angry crowds castigated Plavsic's police for turning their back on Serbia.

SHOWS:

BANJA LUKA, BOSNIA, 20/08
SFOR tank outside building;
CU building sign;
VS of police loyal to Pale hardliners leaving the police academy centre as SFOR soldiers take up their postions;
SFOR tank moves into position;
police loyal to Plavsic watching;
More tank movements;
SFOR soldiers in postion;
WS building entrance;
SOT Milan Sutilovic, Banja Luka Chief of Police (Pale hardliners supporter) (in Serbian): "I have been forced out of my office. SFOR soldiers with axes and hammers broke into every office and closet, throwing everybody out. They turned their guns towards our heads and threw everybody out of the building.";
Ext building,
police put up tape outside Public Security and Police building; helicopter overhead;
Plavsic's police marching into the building;
SFOR soldier watching; Police walk by SFOR soldiers;
SOT Major John Blakely, "The situation is calm, SFOR met no resistance. SFOR is in control. There are some crowds that have gathered in the streets and moved from location to location. However we have deployed sufficient resources to meet any anticipated requirements";
Local people demonstrate in street;
Man screams abuse in Serbian "Tudjman's flag will hang there if you go on like that, shame on you, turn back to you Serbia.";
crowds in street;

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