New cease-fire violations reported Thursday left at least two people dead in Croatia, and the head of a U.N. advance team was quoted as saying continued clashes could keep peacekeeping forces away.
Despite the flare-ups and some resistance to a peace plan, U.N. envoy Cyrus Vance was reported recommending the rapid deployment of at least 10,000 peacekeeping troops.Proponents say a partial deployment now could keep the month-old truce from unraveling in Croatia, which more than two dozen nations including all European Community countries recognized as independent last month.
Zagreb radio said two people were killed and seven wounded in shelling on the eastern Croatia war front during the night.
Croatia's mid-Adriatic port Zadar came under attack overnight, according to the radio. It also said an infantry attack on nearby Zemunik Donji from a federal air base was repelled. No casualties were reported.
War broke out in Croatia between Serbs and Croats after the republic declared independence in June, with the Serb-dominated federal army and Serb irregulars fighting Croatian defenders.
Col. John Wilson, the Australian head of the 75-man U.N. liaison mission in Yugoslavia, said Wednesday that frequent cease-fire violations could jeopardize sending U.N. peacekeepers, the Belgrade-based Tanjug news agency reported.
In a letter written Tuesday to Vance, President Franjo Tudjman of Croatia again accepted the U.N. peace plan but cited "technical" problems in administering Serb-controlled enclaves.
The New York Times reported in today's editions that Vance, after reading Tudjman's letter, recommended rapid deployment of the peacekeeping force.