Cease-Fire Continues To Crumble Increased Fighting Decreasing Chances For Truce In Bosnia

Bosnia’s chances of peace sank again Thursday with reports of new fighting - this time between the government and Bosnian Serbs, two primary rivals that should be observing a truce.

The violence came as a new U.N. commander arrived to begin his efforts to end 33 months of war.

Hundreds of detonations shook the northwestern Bihac enclave, where rebel Muslims and Serbs from neighboring Croatia have been fighting Muslim-led government forces.

But, in an indication fighting was increasing, U.N. officials made a rare assertion - that some recent battles in the region have been between Bosnian government and Bosnian Serb forces. They signed a cease-fire with each other Dec. 31.

The rest of Bosnia has been generally quiet since the four-month truce took effect at the start of the year. But persistent fighting in the Bihac region could undermine the cease-fire.

Lt. Gen. Rupert Smith, the new British commander of U.N. forces in Bosnia, arrived in Sarajevo on Thursday and pledged to do his best to end the Bosnian war.

Smith said he and his 24,000 troops would also “give aid to the unfortunate and long-suffering people caught up in this conflict.” Smith met briefly with Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic and planned to travel today to the Bosnian Serb stronghold of Pale.