Explosion Kills 3 Nato Soldiers

An explosion roared through a stadium housing NATO troops Wednesday night, killing at least three soldiers and injuring seven in the worst military accident since the peace-enforcement mission began.

The cause of the blast at the compound for Italian and Portuguese soldiers was not immediately known, but it was not a bomb or “aggressive action,” said British Maj. Simon Haselock, a NATO spokesman.

NATO sources said early indications suggested some ammunition exploded.

One Italian and two Portuguese were killed, and six Italians and one Portuguese were injured, said Italian Lt. Col. Salvatore Iacono.

The accident came at the end of a day that had seen some favorable events - notably a meeting of the Bosnian prime minister and the designated premiers of the two ethnic regions that are to be created under the peace plan that was signed in December.

Although the agenda for the meeting was not ambitious and no breakthroughs were announced, the fact that it even occurred was testimony to the strides Bosnia is making to end nearly four years of war.

The regions are to be subordinate to a central government; one will be controlled by Bosnian Serbs and the other by a Muslim-Croat federation.

On Wednesday, Bosnian Croats said they would gradually transfer the authority of their self-proclaimed state to the federation and urged the Muslim-led Bosnian government to do the same.

There is still substantial tension between Muslims and Croats and keeping their federation together is seen as critical to the success of the peace plan.

In Sarajevo, Rajko Kasagic, premier of the Serb region, traveled to the government-held side of the city to meet with Bosnian Prime Minister Haris Silajdzic in the office of Carl Bildt, the civilian administrator of the peace deal.

According to the independent Fonet news agency, the prime ministers discussed freedom of movement, re-establishing phone lines and roads, and forming joint radio and television stations.