UN THREATENS BOSNIA PULLOUT AS FIGHTING INTENSIFIES

United Nations peacekeepers threatened to pull out of Sarajevo yesterday as Muslim and Serb forces threw tanks, rockets, and artillery into a fierce battle for the Bosnian capital.

"There comes a time when we have to assess the situation. I guess that time comes now," UN spokesman Mik Magnusson told reporters after fighting forced the closure of Sarajevo airport for relief flights.

The latest upsurge of fighting in and around Sarajevo indicated a Muslim bid to break a four-month siege while Serb forces intensified efforts to capture the city.

The UN Security Council on Tuesday demanded that the Red Cross and other neutral groups be allowed to check allegations that Bosnian Serbs are running death camps.