21.   The Croatian defence ministry also reported shelling of a series of Croatian towns.

22.   The Croatian defence ministry in Zagreb dismissed the Serb report.

23.   The Croatian defence ministry initially denied the reports but said that if they turned out to be true, it would punish whoever was responsible.

24.   The Croatian defence ministry is suing the weekly newspaper Globus for libel, the state-run Croatian news agency Hina said on Tuesday.

25.   The Croatian defence ministry said secessionist Croatian Serbs shelled the Gospic area in the southwest of the country in their first attack in the region for almost two years.