In Spite of Peace Moves, Fighting Flares in Bosnia

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina —  A few rare hours of respite from war yielded to familiar gunfire and explosions Tuesday night even as the Bosnian government and rebel Serbs hinted they might talk peace again--with some conditions.

U.N. spokeswoman Maj. Myriam Sochacki said fighting began south of Sarajevo about 6 p.m. after a quiet day. Sirens sounded a general alert as artillery battles erupted anew. Two civilians were killed and seven, including a child, were wounded, the government said.

Tuesday’s fighting came as Russian envoy Vitaly S. Churkin met Serbian and Bosnian Serb leaders on a peace initiative masterminded by France, Russia and Serbia.

Churkin met in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic for the second day Tuesday. Monday night, he held talks with Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic.

In Paris on Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Herve de Charette met with his Bosnian counterpart, Muhamed Sacirbey.

Both the Muslim-led Bosnian government and the rebel Serbs have indicated willingness to return to peace talks if conditions are right.

Also Tuesday, three aid convoys carrying 452 tons of flour, yeast and salt for Sarajevo were turned back by government forces who said it was too dangerous to continue.

Except for one truckload of flour last week, the convoys would have been the first in four weeks to reach the city, where U.N. food warehouses are virtually empty.