NATO-led peacekeepers have blocked an area in southern Bosnia-Herzegovina believed to be a hideout for Bosnian Serb wartime leader and war crimes indictee Radovan Karadzic.

Officials say helicopters, armored vehicles and troops from then NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR) have blocked the area near the town of Foca, close to the border with Montenegro.

An SFOR spokesman (Daryl Morrell) confirmed an operation is in progress, but he declined to give details.

Bosnian Serb media reports says SFOR troops entered houses, schools, churches and other facilities. Telephone and radio communications also were reportedly blocked and electricity cut off.

Mr. Karadzic has been indicted by the U.N. war crimes tribunal at The Hague for alleged war crimes and genocide committed during Bosnia's 1992 to 1995 war. The indictment against him also covers the siege of Sarajevo and the 1995 massacre of nearly 7,000 Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.

Over 20 war crimes suspects -- most Bosnian Serbs -- are still at large including Mr. Karadzic and former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic.

The Bosnian Serb government earlier this month gave war crimes suspects a 30-day deadline to surrender or lose their chance of being provisionally released on bail if detained.

(afp, reuters, prev)

Email this article to a friend
Printer Friendly Version