In the period from the beginning of March to mid-April 1992, more than sixty armed attacks on members, units, property, and facilities of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) were recorded on the territory of the former SR Bosnia and Herzegovina. These attacks were particularly prominent in Sarajevo, which was the center of the JNA's Second Military District, and continued in the period that followed.<\/p>\n
On April 20, 1992, in a catering facility in Sarajevo, two young soldiers were killed by members of the Muslim Territorial Defense (TO) while playing billiards. Two days later, on April 22, 1992, in the Sarajevo neighborhood of Dobrinja, eight JNA members were captured following an APC breakdown and subsequently killed; their bodies were hidden.<\/p>\n
Due to the deterioration of the security situation and armed conflicts, and following talks in Skopje, a decision was made to withdraw JNA units from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The decision stipulated that JNA members could leave the territory in accordance with established routes and withdrawal dynamics, in agreement with the BiH authorities, who were obliged to ensure an unhindered and safe extraction. However, despite this decision, armed attacks on JNA members did not cease, and top Muslim military structures even issued orders to block and neutralize JNA potential.<\/p>\n
On May 2, 1992, the JNA Hall and the Command of the Second Military District were attacked in Sarajevo, marking the beginning of comprehensive armed operations against the JNA in the city. In the first attack on the JNA Hall, one person was killed, two were wounded, and eight were captured. Attempting to provide assistance to the attacked facilities, several JNA columns came under ambush fire in various parts of Sarajevo on May 2, including the Skenderija area. According to international and domestic media reports, numerous bodies of soldiers lay in the streets while some vehicles were burning. Sarajevo media portrayed these units as forces \"trying to take the city\", which created a distorted propaganda image of the events in the public eye. In these battles, 18 JNA members were killed, several were wounded and captured, and those captured were subjected to physical abuse and humiliation.<\/p>\n
The following day, May 3, 1992, despite a withdrawal agreement between the JNA and the Muslim side, reached in the presence of Alija Izetbegovi\u0107 and representatives of international forces, a new attack occurred.<\/p>\n
In Dobrovolja\u010dka Street in Sarajevo, while the JNA column was attempting to leave the city, it was attacked by units of the Muslim armed forces. According to available data, nine JNA members were killed, and several were wounded and captured.<\/p>\n
There are testimonies that some soldiers were deprived of their lives after being captured, shot at close range in the back of the head or body while lying on the ground, which constitutes a violation of the rules of international humanitarian law. This was a very poor message that pushed all sides into a brutal civil war.<\/p>\n
During the war, a large number of camps and detention sites for Serbs were registered in Sarajevo under Muslim control. The Independent International Commission documented at least 211 such sites. Multiple individual and mass graves were also recorded, the most well-known of which is located at the Kazani site. (See more: incomfis-sarajevo.org)<\/p>\n
A similar development and crime were recorded in Tuzla. After several hours of negotiations and one failed attempt to leave, the JNA column from the \"Husinska buna\" barracks began its exit from the city on May 16, 1992, around 7:00 PM, in accordance with the reached agreement. The column was divided into two parts: the first contained a Tuzla Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) vehicle, followed by an APC with JNA representatives and local civilian authorities, and then about thirty military vehicles. The second part of the column, which had no government representatives or police vehicles, consisted mainly of non-combat, medical, and other transport vehicles. When the first part of the column passed the Br\u010danska Malta intersection and the second was entering the area, despite the agreement, an armed attack on the column began.<\/p>\n
According to survivor testimonies, the attack was carried out from pre-prepared positions in surrounding buildings. Several medical vehicles, although clearly marked, were hit. A large number of soldiers who were not in combat positions, shielded only by tarpaulins, were killed or wounded, while some were captured. Local television recorded part of the event and practically broadcast it live with studio commentary.<\/p>\n
Members of the JNA from the attacked column tried to save themselves, but a large number were liquidated, wounded, or captured. After several hours, burning trucks remained at the Malta intersection, along with the remains of the bodies of the killed soldiers. This was later proven by exhumations, as some of the bodies of the killed had previously been removed and buried at a then-unknown location.<\/p>\n
According to data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, the identities of 54 killed JNA members have been established. Out of these, 51 were born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while three were born outside of it, which clearly shows that the JNA was not a foreign army. The age structure of the deceased shows that 16 were aged 19 to 22, 18 were between 23 and 30, 16 were between 31 and 40, while four victims were older than 40. In this event, 78 JNA members were wounded, and a large number were captured.<\/p>\n
The events in Dobrovolja\u010dka Street and at Br\u010danska Malta represent a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions and military withdrawal agreements, and in later years, they were subject to various observations and interpretations. In full view of the public, these attacks sent a message to all Serbs, as well as to everyone else considered enemies by the Croat-Muslim coalition structures of the concept of a new system born of war and secession. Unfortunately, it was a message of crime.<\/p>\n