"The Serbs have brought in a lot of troops to try and shore up their positions," said a senior Bosnian commander, who asked to remain unidentified.

Bosnian commanders say they have enough men to put 50,000 under arms, but have weapons for only about 5,000.

But he said Bosnian commanders had put gun positions in the buildings, making them essential targets for the Serbian forces.

One attempt was scuttled on Sunday at the request of Bosnian commanders, but officials said they were assured they could proceed.

Moreover, local Bosnian commanders in various parts of Bosnia have virtually set up their own fiefs.

He is the most senior Bosnian Muslim commander to face a trial at the tribunal.

He broke down in tears as he said that his Bosnian Serb commanders had given him no choice but to kill or be killed himself.

He said he hoped to meet with Bosnian and Serbian commanders in Sarajevo to try to arrange a local cease-fire around the town this week.

When the fighting would stop was not something senior Bosnian military commanders would talk about.

Few details are publicly known, but the indictment of the three former Bosnian commanders offers some insights into the instructions and actions of the holy warriors.