| August 1995 Bosanski Petrovac refugee column bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part ofOperation Storm during theCroatian War of Independence | |
  Bosanski Petrovac Bosanski Petrovac (Bosnia and Herzegovina) | |
| Location | 44°34′00″N16°31′20″E / 44.56667°N 16.52222°E /44.56667; 16.52222 nearBosanski Petrovac, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Date | 7–8 August 1995 |
| Deaths | 9 |
| Victims | Croatian Serb refugees |
| Perpetrators | Croatian Air Force |
On 7 August 1995, twoCroatian Air ForceMiG-21 planes fired several rockets at a Serb refugee column on a road nearBosanski Petrovac,Bosnia and Herzegovina, killing 9 civilians and injuring more than 50. On 8 August 1995, another attack took place, resulting in more civilian casualties. The victims were traveling in a refugee column fleeing Croatia duringOperation Storm which brought about an end to theCroatian War of Independence.
By March 1991, tensions between Croats and Serbs escalated into theCroatian War of Independence.[1] Following areferendum on independence that was largely boycotted by Croatian Serbs,[2] the Croatian parliament officially adopted independence on 25 June.[3] TheRepublic of Serb Krajina (RSK) declared its intention tosecede from Croatia and join theRepublic of Serbia while theGovernment of the Republic of Croatia declared it a rebellion.[4] RSK forces and paramilitaries went on to expelCroats and other non-Serbs from areas where they established control.[5] Meanwhile, Serbs living in Croatian towns, especially near the front lines were subjected to various forms of harassment and attacks.[6]
On 4 August 1995, theCroatian Army, together with the5th Corps of theArmy of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, launchedOperation Storm to regain control of occupied[7] territories of Croatia, and to end theSiege of Bihać. Around 200,000 Serbs fled towardsSerbia.[8] The columns of Serb civilians escaping through the town ofDvor came under repeated attack from artillery shelling and small arms fire from both Croatian and Bosnian troops, leading to civilian deaths. UN troops reported the same column came under attack from Croatian fighter jets.[9]
On 7 August, twoCroatian Air ForceMiG-21 planes fired several rockets at a Serb refugee column located on Petrovačka road nearBosanski Petrovac (Serbo-Croatian:Petrovačka cesta), killing 9 civilians and injuring more than 50.[10] The victims included four children.[11] The columns of refugees had arrived on the territory ofBosnia and Herzegovina fromLika andDalmatia, andKordun andBanija.[10] According to the testimonies of survivors, there were no military vehicles or army units in the column, only civilians who were fleeing.[10] However, RSK forces would also sometimes be intermingled with fleeing civilians.
On 8 August, another refugee convoy was shelled near the village ofSvodna, also in Bosnia, resulting in civilian casualties.[12]
A 1996 report byHuman Rights Watch detailing abuses committed during Operation Storm listed bombings of refugee columns by Croatian aircraft on "at least three separate occasions". It noted that the attacks would constitute violations of theGeneva Conventions and a war crime if civilians had been directly attacked but that if military personnel had been mixed in and if incidental fighting occurred which resulted in civilian casualties, it could be consideredcollateral damage.[12]
In 2003 at theICTY while under cross-examination bySlobodan Milošević, it was revealed that GeneralJanko Bobetko, former Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Army accusedImra Agotić, first commander of the Croatian Air Force and Defence of ordering the bombing of the refugee column. Agotić denied any involvement.[13]
In 2012, the Croatian journalMagazine for Military History (Vojna Povijest) published flight logs of Croatian fighter planes from 3 August to 8 August 1995. It described the destruction of military vehicles on 7 August and 8 August in the area near Bosanski Petrovac and Svodna, respectively.[12] Meanwhile, formerMinister of Foreign Affairs of CroatiaMate Granić confirmed that Croatian planes struck convoys but claimed that it was a legitimate target against members of the Krajina Serb military, calling the civilian casualties "collateral damage".[14]
On 1 November 2010, theMinistry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska submitted reports and evidence to theProsecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina against three officers and two pilots of the Croatian Army.[15] The events received renewed publicity in June 2022 when Serbia filed indictments against four Croatian Army officers it alleges were involved in the bombings.[12] One of them is fighter squadron commander Danijel Borovic who was the only one of the named in 2010 to be still alive.[12] TheMinistry of Croatian Veterans responded to the indictments by issuing a statement rejecting Serbian jurisdiction over the matter.[16] Croatian Prime MinisterAndrej Plenković said that the government would protect the pilots and called the Serbian indictment "a step backward in reconciliation".[17]
