YUGOSLAV FIGHTING

Grey River Argus, 22 December 1943, Page 3

YUGOSLAV FIGHTING

TITO REPORTS SUCCESS. LONDON, Dec. 19. A Yugoslav partisans’ communique stated: Fighting of extreme violence is taking place in eastern and southwest Bosnia, resulting in capture of valuable war material. The Yugoslav people’s Liberation Army in one clash captured much booty, including 14 machine guns, one trench mortar, 100 rifles, 40,000 rounds of ammunition and a wireless station. In another thev occupied the railway station of Piskavice, on the Banjaulka, capturing etoht machine-guns, two mortars, and 35 rifles. They also derailed two enemv military trains which resulted in the death of a number of Germans and the dislocation of communications. General Tito’s patriots have fought their way into the suburbs of Banjaluka, the chief town of Western Bosnia, and a strategically valuable road and rail centre, states Jugoslav Free Radio. Banjaluka, a modern town of 25,000 population, lies along the banks of the Vrbas River. . The German offensive in Jugoslavia has broken down, says a special communiaue from Tito broadcast by Algiers radio. It adds: The Jugoslav forces are counter-attacking southwest of Zagreb. The Partisans also passed to the offensive in several other localities. A strong enemy column in Croatia was decimated. Germans in Bosnia were compelled to withdraw eastward. A German spokesman has admitted that the “western Balkans are in an uproar.” German troops are engaged in heavy fighting against the Partisans in Bosnia, in north-west Albania and the area between Serbia and Montenegro. The spokesman who is quoted by the Scandinavian Telegraph Bureau, added that the Balkans fighting over shadowed the Italian front situation. The Yugoslav Partisan headquarters states that the enemy continues to increase the pressure on recently-liberated territory in all' directions and is bringing up continued reinforcements. In Croatia five German and Croat columns broke through to Slunk, sixty miles east of Fiume, and setting fire to all the villages. Partisan headquarters also referred to the fact that the Liberation Army for some time past has been receiving armaments and food by sea ana air’ from the Allies. .