Artillery Shakes Bosnian Cease-Fire

Bosnia’s three-week truce was shakier than ever Monday with intensified fighting in the northwest and a stalemate over easing the siege of Sarajevo.

“We don’t see progress in many areas,” said U.N. spokesman Paul Risley. Members of a five-nation negotiating team “were clearly distressed at the lack of progress.”

Serbs fired more than 110 mortar and artillery shells Monday on two towns in the Bihac pocket of northwestern Bosnia, U.N. officials reported. Serb shelling of the same area killed seven civilians during the weekend.

The shelling was in retaliation for an offensive by the government army, which retook some territory west of Bihac town near the border with Serbheld Croatia, U.N. officials said.

But, said U.N. spokesman Chris Gunness, “It is unacceptable to use an argument that the killing (of civilians) was in response to the strategic move by the other side.”