Two Serb tanks arrived unannounced at the protected area around Sarajevo but were allowed to pass through by U.N. peacekeepers.

U.N. civil affairs chief Yasushi Akashi gave Serbs approval to move up to seven tanks through the protected zone from which heavy weapons are forbidden, said Cmdr. Eric Chaperon, a U.N. spokesman.But no advance notice was given before the Serb T34 tanks on low-bed carriers arrived Wednesday at a border zone around the U.N.-declared safe haven, causing confusion for hours among U.N. officials.

The tanks were later allowed to pass through, and no incidents were reported.

American, Russian and European negotiators were due in Sarajevo, the capital, and Pale for a second round of talks Thursday with government and Serb leaders. They are trying to negotiate a cease-fire for all of Bosnia and to revive full peace talks.

In a joint statement from Cairo, U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher and Russian Foreign Minister Andrei V. Kozyrev called Wednesday for immediate resumption of negotiations to prevent a new outbreak of fighting.

A meeting of foreign ministers from the United States, Russia and Western Europe was planned for May 13 in Geneva to evaluate progress of the joint peace initiative.

A two-month truce in Sarajevo has largely held between Bosnian Serbs and troops of Bosnia's Muslim-led government. But U.N. officials have noted a recent increase in violations of a U.N. ultimatum that ordered Serbs to keep tanks and artillery at least 12.4 miles from the city's center.

U.N. spokesman Maj. Dacre Holloway said officials were investigating two detonations Wednesday believed to be tank fire.

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Aid flights to Sarajevo were halted Wednesday after two planes were hit by gunfire - a German plane carrying U.N. aid supplies and an Ilyushin-76 flying for the American Soros foundation.

The planes were not seriously damaged and no injuries were reported.

After being blocked by Serbs for three days in eastern Bosnia, a convoy of about 160 British soldiers and 51 vehicles was allowed to proceed to the Muslim enclave of Gorazde, Holloway said. The troops reinforced 500 U.N. peacekeepers already there.

The standoff was the latest in a series of incidents adding to tension in Gorazde.

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