THE TRIAL of eight Serbs accused of committing war crimes during vicious fighting for the Croatian town of Vukovar in 1991 opens today in a special Serbian court.

Police in Serbia-Montenegro have arrested a former army officer and war crimes suspect hiding in an apartment building after fierce battles with a violent crowd trying to protect him.

SERBIAN war crimes suspect Miroslav Radic, wanted for the killing of civilians and prisoners of war in Croatia in 1991, has handed himself over to authorities in Belgrade, the Beta news agency reported yesterday.

A former Yugoslav army officer has denied his troops executed at least 200 Croat hospital patients in 1991.