Bosnian and Croatian Government Troops Target Serb Refugees

Strategic Insights -

Croatian and Bosnian government forces have been accused of deliberately targeting Serb refugees fleeing from the Croatian military operation in the Krajina region, resulting in the deaths of at least five people and injuring 15 more. The United Nations has reported that Croatian troops have opened fire on refugees and burned down Serb villages, with UN officials expressing outrage over the deliberate targeting of civilians. The crisis has resulted in the largest humanitarian disaster since the beginning of the 4-year war in Bosnia, with over 150,000 Serb refugees entering Bosnia over the weekend.

Key Takeaways:

  • At least five people were killed and 15 civilians were injured when artillery fire raked a 3-mile (5-km) long convoy of refugees near the northwestern Bosnian town of Dvor.
  • The Serbs had fled the Krajina region, which Croatian government troops retook in a four-day military operation, with Croatian troops reportedly setting up a border control point to screen refugees and filter out soldiers from civilians.
  • A UN U-2 spy plane has taken pictures of a large area of freshly turned earth in a field near a soccer stadium in Srebrenica, which could be evidence of a mass burial of Muslim men.
  • Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic traveled to Zagreb for talks with his Croatian counterpart, Franjo Tudjman, amid concerns over the crisis.
  • UN officials believe the movement of Yugoslav troops toward the border was intended only as a show of force, and not a preparation for military action.

Statistics:

  • At least 5 people were killed and 15 civilians were injured in the attack on the refugee convoy.
  • Over 150,000 Serb refugees have entered Bosnia over the weekend, creating the largest humanitarian crisis since the beginning of the 4-year war.
  • 3 miles 5 km) is the length of the refugee convoy that was attacked with artillery fire.
  • 50,000 Serb women, children and elderly people are trapped inside Croatia, between the Croatian town of Glina and Dvor on the Bosnian border.
  • The Croatian military operation in the Krajina region lasted 4 days and resulted in the recapture of the majority of land held by ethnic Serbs since the beginning of the conflict in 1991.

Sources:

  • U.N. officials and eyewitnesses
  • ABC News
  • New York Times
  • Reuters
  • The Washington Post