Bosnian troops gain ground

Bosnian government troops have grabbed more ground from Serbian forces in fierce fighting in north-central Bosnia, nearly cutting off a finger of Serb-held territory south of Doboj, a UN spokesman said yesterday, Reuter reports from Sarajevo. The Muslim and Croat-backed government troops have been attacking for weeks, despite a truce agreement in place since 10 June.

Thousands of Serbian civilians have been evacuated from villages in the southern tip of the finger as government forces close in on their target: a road linking Zenica and Tuzla that would provide a supply line from the Adriatic coast into central Bosnia.