- Title: ITALY: U.S ADMIRAL LEIGHTON SMITH BRIEFS MEDIA ON NATO AIRSTRIKES
- Date: 26th May 1995
- Summary: NAPLES, ITALY (MAY 26, 1995)(RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV/SV NATO (NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANISATION) MEDIA CONFERENCE HELD BY THE COMMANDER OF NATO FORCES IN SOUTHERN EUROPE, UNITED STATES (U.S.) ADMIRAL LEIGHTON SMITH/ SMITH POINTS TO MAP (3 SHOTS) 0.36 2. SV MEDIA/SMITH SPEAKING ABOUT NATO RAIDS AND U.N. SOLDIERS BEING HELD HOSTAGE / SMITH POINTING AT MAP OF PALE AMMUNITION DEPOT DESCRIBING THE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY NATO RAIDS, CONFIRMING "NATO DESTROYED SIX BUNKERS IN THE SAME DEPOT WHERE NATO WARPLANES HIT TWO BUNKERS ON THURSDAY(ENGLISH)(3 SHOTS) 1.33 3. GV NATO VIDEOTAPE OF PURSUIT AIRCRAFT SHOWING FRIDAY'S LASER-GUIDED MISSILES HITTING TARGETS (MUTE) 2.15 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 10th June 1995 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NAPLES, ITALY
- City:
- Country: Italy
- Reuters ID: LVAA187648QFXKJR10BTPWC72Q1B
- Story Text: Bosnian Serbs are holding up to ten United Nations (U.N.) personnel as hostages following NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) air raids, the commander of NATO forces in Southern Europe said on Friday (May 26).
United States (U.S.) Admiral Leighton Smith said the hostages, whose precise number he did not know, were in addition to some 100 U.N. personnel who were surrounded at weapons collection points around Sarajevo by mines and Bosnian Serb civilians or soldiers.
Planes struck at a Bosnian Serb ammunition depot for a second day running on Friday.
Smith told a news briefing that Serb retaliation for air strikes had put NATO and the United Nations "in a very difficult position".
"I don't know whether frankly the number is eight or ten who are currently hostage," Smith said. "Obviously we're concerned with their welfare...our concern is for their safety." He said he had spoken by telephone to senior U.N. commanders in Zagreb and Sarajevo who were dealing with the hostage crisis.
"As always NATO is prepared to respond in any we can to be helpful in achieving a solution to that problem that is favourable to the United Nations," he said. He had no more details.
Friday's strike, conducted by 12 planes using laser-guided bombs and backed up by other aircraft from the multinational NATO force, targeted six ammunition bunkers in the same depot near Pale where NATO warplanes hit two bunkers on Thursday.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
