Nato troops have arrested a Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect near the town of Foca, in south-eastern Bosnia.

Radovan Stankovic, a former soldier from an elite Bosnian Serb paramilitary unit, is wanted by the international war crimes tribunal at The Hague for his alleged involvement in a campaign of raping Muslim women in 1992 and 1993.

Stankovic - one of the 23 most wanted suspects listed by The Hague

He is one of the 23 most wanted suspects sought or held by the international court.

He will now be transferred to The Hague, Major Scott Lundy, spokesman for the Nato-led Stabilisation Force for Bosnia (S-For) said.

In recent months, there has been much speculation that the tribunal's most wanted suspect, Radovan Karadzic, is hiding near Foca.

Nato troops carried out raids in the area in February and March, but failed to capture Mr Karadzic, a former Bosnian Serb president, and his former military commander Ratko Mladic.

House surrounded

Local police said S-For troops blocked all roads leading to the village of Trebicina, just outside Foca and surrounded Mr Stankovic in his house at about 1500 local time (1300 GMT).

There is no place to hide for anyone accused by the tribunal of these horrific crimes

George Robertson, Nato Secretary-General

Bosnian Serb television reported that Mr Stankovic was armed with a rifle and refused to come out, triggering a stand-off which lasted several hours.

The French defence ministry said French and German troops were involved in the operation.

Mr Stankovic gave himself up without a fight when police and unarmed German soldiers entered the house, Bosnian Serb media reported.

Nato Secretary-General George Robertson said the second arrest of a war crimes fugitive this week showed "there is no place to hide for anyone accused by the tribunal of these horrific crimes".

Others convicted

The town of Foca was overrun by Bosnian Serb forces in April 1992.

They rounded up local Muslim men and women and put them in separate camps.

Many of the women were held in the sports hall, classrooms of the high school or taken to soldiers' own flats.

Women, including girls as young as 12, suffered systematic violent and sexual attacks there.

Mr Stankovic, 33, is one of eight Bosnian Serbs accused of the systematic rapes.

Several of the others have already been convicted by the tribunal in The Hague and are serving long jail sentences.

The UN tribunal has classified the many instances of rape in the Foca region as crimes against humanity.