Reuters 

Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia – The Yugoslav Navy on Wednesday searched a flotilla of Croatian relief boats for weapons before allowing it to pass through a blockade to the medieval port of Dubrovnik. 

The ferry Slavija, with the Yugoslav president, Stipe Mesic, aboard, was waiting at the eastern tip of Mljet Island for the fishing and tourist boats to be checked at a nearby port. 

The flotilla was then to set out for the two-hour trip to Dubrovnik, which has been be sieged for a month by the Serb-led federal army and navy. A fragile truce has been in effect around the city since Friday. 

The army imposed a blockade on Dubrovnik to force out militiamen from the rebel republic of Croatia. 

Fighting between the army and Croatian forces last week damaged popular tourist towns along the Adriatic coast, ending with the army camped a kilometer from Dubrovnik. 

Without electricity and low on food and water, 50,000 men, women and children are trapped in the city. 

Mr. Mesic, Croatia’s representative in the collective federal presidency, set out with the flotilla to call international attention to the plight of those trapped in the town. 

The navy has begun letting more ships through in recent days. It said the ferry Balkanija unloaded 80 tons of humanitarian aid, mostly food, on Wednesday and left with 41 refugees. 

In northeastern and central Croatia, fighting t with heavy artillery, mortars, tanks and planes was reported on Wednesday.