U.N. officials said that by backing the attack on Serb positions in Bosnia, and not launching its own strike from Croatian territory, the Croatian army appears to be attempting to stop Bosnia’s war from spilling into Croatia, which has maintained a relative peace since the cease-fire.

The tourist season is in full swing on Croatia’s Adriatic coast. Although business is poor this year, it still remains Croatia’s largest source of hard currency, which is needed to purchase arms.

Serb forces from Croatia and Bosnia began an offensive July 19 against the Bihac pocket, which includes a U.N.-designated safe area, and are moving to split the enclave of 180,000 people, U.N. officials said.

Advertisement

The blitz followed the Serb capture of the Srebrenica safe area in eastern Bosnia on July 11 and the expulsion of more than 30,000 Muslims from their homes.

It coincided with Serb attacks against the Zepa safe area, also in the east. Zepa effectively fell Wednesday and more than 4,000 Muslims have been driven out so far.

If the strategic crossroads falls into Croat hands, then the main supply route from the Krajina to Serb-held territory in Bosnia will be cut, dealing the Croatian Serbs a major blow.

The more the Croatian army can wedge itself between Serbs from Bosnia and Croatia, the harder it will be for the Croatian Serbs to survive what many Western officials warn could be a Croatian army offensive to recapture rebel Serb territory in the fall.