NATO raids Bosnian Serb air force

SFOR troops have kept the peace in Bosnia since the signing of a 1995 peace accord

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina -- NATO-led peacekeepers have raided the headquarters of the Bosnian Serb air force, which they suspect has been spying on alliance planes.

About 50 troops took part in Tuesday's raid near Banja Luka, Major Scott Lundy, the spokesman for the NATO-led peacekeeping force, SFOR, told Reuters.

"The evidence that was removed will be analysed to determine whether or not the headquarters was directing the electronic monitoring of SFOR and NATO aircraft," he said.

The raid followed an investigation last week of two Bosnian Serb radar sites in northern Bosnia accused of observing NATO communications -- something that is banned under a 1995 peace agreement.

The commander of NATO's troops in Bosnia, U.S. Lt. Gen. John Sylvester, suspended the head of the Bosnian Serb Air Force, Lt. Col. Gen. Milan Torbica, while NATO investigated whether he was responsible for the espionage.

Sylvester also demanded that the Bosnian Serbs immediately disclose "any and all" electronic warfare and electronic intelligence monitoring operations directed at the peacekeepers.

In addition, he banned any Bosnian Serb air force training or movement while the investigation is under way.

Under the 1995 Dayton peace agreement that ended Bosnia's three-and-a-half-year civil war, Bosnia was divided into the Serb republic and the Muslim-Croat federation.

Each have their own separate government and armed forces.

The Bosnian Serb air force consists of 18 fighter planes and 33 helicopters, only a handful of which are operational, according to the Serb People's Union, a political party fighting for more funds for the military.

The force also has about 40 to 50 pilots, the party said.