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Bosko Perosevic, senior official of Slobodan Milosevic's ruling party was killed Saturday when an assailant shot him in the head. Perosevic was touring the agricultural fair in the northern city of Novi Sad, 45 miles northwest of Belgrade. Around noon, he stepped away from his delegation of government officials to answer his mobile phone. A security guard approached him, pressed a gun to his head and pulled the trigger, reporters who were at the scene said. Perosevic was rushed to Novi Sad's main hospital. Djordje Janjic, the head of the hospital, said he died there Saturday afternoon.

Perosevic was the chief of Milosevic's Socialist party in Novi Sad and the head of regional government for the northern Vojvodina province.

Bosko Perosevic, senior official of Slobodan Milosevic's ruling party was killed Saturday when an assailant shot him in the head. Perosevic was touring the agricultural fair in the northern city of Novi Sad, 45 miles northwest of Belgrade. Around noon, he stepped away from his delegation of government officials to answer his mobile phone. A security guard approached him, pressed a gun to his head and pulled the trigger, reporters who were at the scene said. Perosevic was rushed to Novi Sad's main hospital. Djordje Janjic, the head of the hospital, said he died there Saturday afternoon.

Perosevic was the chief of Milosevic's Socialist party in Novi Sad and the head of regional government for the northern Vojvodina province.

Witnesses at the scene said the gunman, identified as 50-year-old Milivoj Gutovic, had worked at the exhibition area for years. The police arrested him after a brief chase. The early reports made it unclear whether the killing was politically motivated: the attacker had known Perosevic for years, and both were born and raised in the same town. Ironically, Perosevic was killed on May 13, a communist-style "Security Day" anniversary that regularly praises Serbian police for their efficiency.

On Saturday, the Socialist Party quickly claimed a link between the shooting, the opposition and the Western nations that last year led the 78-day bombing campaign to make him relinquish control over southern Kosovo province. A statement from the Socialists accused the Serbian "traitor" opposition and popular student group Otpor, or Resistance, of being behind the attack.

"The crime today clearly shows that those who made a brutal aggression on Yugoslavia, now put their weapons in the hands of their servants here," the statement said. It pledged to "fight back the terrorism."

About 15,000 Yugoslav opposition supporters gathered on Saturday to celebrate the anniversary of the Chetnik uprising against Nazi German occupiers in World War Two. Vuk Draskovic, leader of the opposition Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO), was greeted by loud cheers and a volley of fire from hand and artillery weapons, to which he responded: "Save your ammunition."

SPO supporters dressed as Serbian monarchist guerrillas fired an old wooden cannon at the site where the seat of the World War Two monarchist guerrilla movement was formed on Mt. Ravna Gora near Valjevo, 120 km (75 miles) south of Belgrade.

Draskovic said the current Yugoslav government would be ousted in elections, but only if they were democratic and if the terror against the people, media, judiciary and students ended. "As of today, we will not be defending ourselves only with rallies, speeches and statements, but by all possible means," Draskovic said.

Draskovic called on the army and police to join the people and refuse to obey the current state authorities. At the end of the rally, Draskovic joined in a chorus of Chetnik songs.

Defence representative Goran Draganic expressed hopes the Military Court will drop criminal charges accusing his client of espionage and spreading false information. Miroslav Filipović, "Danas" and AFP correspondent, was released from detention earlier after a decision by the investigative judge of Nis Military Court and rejected any responsibility for the charges raised against him. He told Radio B2-92 he felt much better after spending the night with his family adding that certain matters concerning his case should be resolved in the following days.

Seven Democratic Party activists were prevented from completing distribution of promo material in front of the Novi Sad Fair by police forces who brought them in. The Democratic Party stated to Beta agency that the action was properly reported to local police. The International Fair of Agriculture in Novi Sad will be opened by Dragan Tomic, Chairman of Serbian Parliament.

Montenegrin Minister of Internal Affairs, Vukasin Maras, accused the Yugoslav Army of operating against Constitutional regulations and siding with one political party. He said the "Army was not authorised to deal with the size of police forces in Montenegro or any other part of the country". Maras stressed that "Montenegrin police was enforced to the extent considered vital by authorised Government bodies for maintaining security". Maras qualified allegations of Moslem fundamentalists and mercenaries in police uniforms preparing for "something other than its function" as dishonorable and malicious fabrication.

A group of 100 Albanians stoned residential buildings inhabited by Serbs in Obilic last night, report Serbian sources in the region. A number of windows were broken, but no one was injured. Radio amateurs told Beta agency that KFOR forces dispersed the mob 40 minutes after the stoning began. Someone opened fire at the house of Vlada Todorovic around midnight. No one was hurt, but his property sustained considerable damage.

Swedish KFOR soldiers confiscated several weapons and a lot of ammunition in the Central Administrative Zone after raiding a house in Ajkobila village.

KFOR reported rescuing a person who stepped on a land mine near Maljaj, 25 kilometres West of Prizren. The report says the victim sustained serious leg injuries, but does reveal the identity or details concerning the tragedy.

Around 5,000 Serbs from the northern district of Kosovska Mitrovica protested in support of Serbs detained at the municipal prison, who are on hunger strike since April 12. Their "March for Justice" was aimed to support the prisoners in their pursuit of justice and truth. Jovan Dinkic, Serb National Council Vice President, said that Mitrovica must not become "Hague in Kosovo". He accused head of UNMIK Bernard Kouchner of trialing Serbs and Gypsies for crimes "they didn't commit", while the other side is excused.

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