62-641: The Markale market shelling or Markale massacres were two separate bombardments, with at least one of them confirmed to have been carried out by the Army of Republika Srpska , targeting civilians during the siege of Sarajevo in the Bosnian War . They occurred at the Markale ( marketplace ) located in the historic core of Sarajevo , the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The first occurred on 5 February 1994; 68 people were killed and 144 more were wounded by
124-528: A 120-millimetre (4.7 in) mortar. The second occurred on 28 August 1995 when five mortar shells launched by Army of Republika Srpska killed 43 people and wounded 75 others. The latter attack was the alleged reason for NATO air strikes against Bosnian Serb forces that would eventually lead to the Dayton Peace Accords and the end of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The responsibility of
186-667: A 1999 report to the United Nations General Assembly , UNPROFOR considered the evidence clear: a confidential report from shortly after the event concluded that the Army of Republika Srpska had fired all five rounds. The UNPROFOR investigation stated that "five rounds landed near the Markale Market at 11:10 on 28 August 1995. One round, in particular, caused the majority of the deaths, casualties and damage." They found that "After analysing all available data,
248-498: A finger at them", which would have jeopardized the safety of UN troops in the territory under VRS control or on positions where they might have been vulnerable to retaliatory attacks by Serb forces. In January 2004, prosecutors in the trial against Galić, a Bosnian Serb general, Sarajevo-Romanija Corps commander in the siege of Sarajevo, introduced into evidence a report including the testimony of ammunition expert Berko Zečević. Working with two colleagues, Zečević's investigation revealed
310-625: A memorandum of understanding on the execution of air strikes. On 30 August, the Secretary General of NATO announced the start of air strikes, supported by UNPROFOR rapid reaction force artillery attacks. Although planned and approved by the North Atlantic Council in July 1995, the operation was triggered in direct response to the second Markale massacre on 28 August 1995. As many as 400 NATO aircraft participated in
372-554: A mixed artillery regiment, that being a French artillery group with eight 155 mm AUF1 howitzers , British artillery group with twelve 105 mm light guns , French and Dutch 120 mm Heavy Mortar company. Although the artillery fired before and after the Markale Market Massacre, the main action was on 28 and 29 August 1995, firing 1070 shells on Serbian positions, which were 305 155 mm shell, 408 120 mm shell, 357 105 mm shells. This artillery group
434-556: A no-fly zone in what would become known as the Banja Luka incident . This was the first combat operation in the history of NATO. On 12 March, the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) made its first request for NATO air support, but close air support was not deployed, owing to a number of delays associated with the approval process. On 10 and 11 April 1994, UNPROFOR called in air strikes to protect
496-439: A total of six possible locations from which the shell in the first Markale massacre could have been fired, of which five were under VRS and one under ARBiH control. The ARBiH site in question was visible to UNPROFOR observers at the time, who reported that no shell was fired from that position. Zečević further reported that certain components of the projectile could only have been fired from one of two places, both of which were under
558-526: Is unclear who fired the shells" , although at that time he already had the technical report of the UNPROFOR intelligence section, determining beyond reasonable doubt that they were fired from VRS positions at Lukavica. Harland himself had advised General Smith to make "a neutral statement in order not to alarm the Serbs who would be alerted to the impending NATO air strikes against their positions had he pointed
620-492: The Bosnian Serb Army , was the military of Republika Srpska , the self-proclaimed Serb secessionist republic, a territory within the newly independent Bosnia and Herzegovina (formerly part of Yugoslavia ), which it defied and fought against. Active during the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995, it continued to exist as the armed forces of RS, one of two entities making up Bosnia and Herzegovina, until 2006 when it
682-581: The Goražde safe area, resulting in the bombing of a Bosnian Serb military command outpost near Goražde by two US F-16 jets. This was the first time in NATO's history it had ever attacked ground targets with aircraft. Subsequently, the Bosnian Serbs took 150 UN personnel hostage on 14 April. On 16 April, a British Sea Harrier was shot down over Goražde by Bosnian Serb forces. That would become known as
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#1732781060168744-677: The Goražde incident . Around 29 April, a Danish contingent on peacekeeping duty in Bosnia , as part of UNPROFOR's Nordic battalion located in Tuzla , was ambushed when trying to relieve a Swedish observation post that was under heavy artillery fire by the Bosnian Serb Šekovići brigade at the village of Kalesija , but the ambush was dispersed when the UN forces retaliated with heavy fire in what would be known as Operation Bøllebank . On 5 August, at
806-819: The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for genocide, as were some other high-ranking Serb officers. Mladić was arrested in Serbia on 26 May 2011. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia stated that: "In July 1995, the Armed Forces of the Republika Srpska were under the command and control of the Commander-in-Chief, Radovan Karadžić . His headquarters
868-535: The Republika Srpska Air Force was officially called, Prvi Puk Vazduhoplovstva i Protiv Vazdušna Odbrana Vojske Republike Srpske , also known as 1st Aviation Regiment and Air Defence Force of the Republic of Srpska's Army . Operation Deliberate Force NATO victory 1993 1994 1995 Operation Deliberate Force was a sustained air campaign conducted by NATO , in concert with
930-617: The UNPROFOR ground operations, to undermine the military capability of the Army of Republika Srpska , which had threatened and attacked UN-designated "safe areas" in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian War with the Srebrenica genocide and Markale massacres , precipitating the intervention. The shelling of the Sarajevo marketplace on 28 August 1995 by the VRS is considered to be
992-492: The no-fly zone over Bosnia. In response, on 12 April, NATO initiated Operation Deny Flight , which was tasked with enforcing the no-fly zone and allowed to engage the violators of the no-fly zone. However, Serb forces on the ground continued to attack UN "safe areas" in Bosnia, and the UN peacekeepers were unable to fight back as the mandate did not give them authority to do so. On 4 June, the UNSC passed Resolution 836 authorizing
1054-616: The 28 August 1995 shelling of the Markale Market because at that time Milošević was in hospital in Belgrade, so that his deputy commander Čedomir Sladoje should be considered responsible for the shelling. Momčilo Perišić was acquitted by the ICTY Appeals Chamber in 2013. According to Tim Judah , "The Serbian argument was grotesque, since what they wanted the world to believe was that of the hundreds of thousands of shells they fired, none had ever hurt anyone. As Miroslav Toholj,
1116-600: The 9 February meeting to the Bosnian Serbs, in which they demanded that the Serbs remove their heavy weapons around Sarajevo by midnight of 20–21 February or face air strikes. There was some confusion surrounding compliance with the ultimatum, and Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Boross announced that Hungary 's air space would be closed to NATO aircraft in the event of air strikes. On 12 February 1994, Sarajevo enjoyed its first casualty-free day in 22 months since April 1992. On 28 February, NATO fighters operating under Deny Flight shot down four Bosnian Serb fighters for violating
1178-540: The ARBiH and HVO. The two armies functioned without a common command, on the principle of "non-intervention in the affairs of the other". Bisera Turković noted that it was 'therefore questionable whether in say a foreign attack on Sarajevo [...the VRS] would defend this capital city'. The existence of the two separate armies was one of the factors impeding civil-military relations development. The VRS conducted demining. In 2003
1240-494: The Army of the Republika Srpska for the first shelling is contested, since investigations to establish the location from where the shells had been fired led to ambiguous results. Serb forces claimed that the Bosnian army had shelled its people to provoke intervention from Western countries on their side. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in its appeal judgement of Stanislav Galić in 2006 summarized
1302-593: The Bosnian Serbs promised they would take care of the Muslim population for the peacekeepers to spare their own lives. For two weeks, VRS forces under Mladić killed over 8,000 Bosniaks, mainly men and boys, in the Srebrenica massacre , which remains the worst act of genocide in Europe since World War II . On 25 July, the North Atlantic Council authorized military planning aimed at deterring an attack on
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#17327810601681364-431: The Bosnian government of shelling its people to incite international outrage and NATO intervention. Rescue workers and United Nations (UN) personnel rushed to help the numerous civilian casualties, while footage of the event soon made news reports across the world. Controversy over the event started when an initial UNPROFOR report claimed that the shell was fired from Bosnian government positions. General Michael Rose ,
1426-536: The British head of UNPROFOR, revealed in his memoirs that three days after the blast he told General Jovan Divjak , the deputy commander of ARBiH forces, that the shell had been fired from Bosnian positions. A later and more in-depth UNPROFOR report noted a calculation error in the original findings. With the error corrected, the United Nations concluded that it was impossible to determine which side had fired
1488-513: The Commander-in-Chief. The Main Staff of the VRS consisted of staff officers and staff support personnel, as well as some specialised military units such as the 65th Protection Regiment, designed to provide protection and combat services for the Main Staff; and the 10th Sabotage Detachment, a unit trained for operations behind enemy lines and other special combat assignments. The vast majority of
1550-569: The Mount Igman area, supported by an airmobile brigade and an armored battalion in reserve. The Brigade consisted of 4000 military. It consisted of 2000 French, 1500 British, 500 Dutch. The creation of the force was authorized by UNSC Resolution 998 on 16 June 1995. Commanded by French General Andre Soubirou, the MN brigade was operational in August 1995 on Mount Igman. The main force consisted of
1612-710: The Rapid Reaction Force artillery to attack. Frustrated by the previous absence of results and the resistance of the Serbian parties to any peace progress, the Western powers, led by French President Jacques Chirac , decided to put a deterrent force in-country to support western diplomatic efforts. France , the United Kingdom and the United States decided to send a multinational brigade to
1674-643: The US aircraft carriers USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS America , and French aircraft carriers Foch and Clemenceau in the Adriatic Sea . The VRS integrated air defence network, comprising aircraft and surface-to-air missiles , presented a high-threat environment to NATO air operations. The German Luftwaffe saw action for the first time since 1945 during Operation Deliberate Force. Six interdictor-strike version Tornados , escorted by eight ECR Tornados, pinpointed Serb targets around Sarajevo for
1736-406: The air campaign. Overall, 3,515 sorties were flown and a total of 1,026 bombs were dropped on 338 Bosnian Serb targets located within 48 complexes. NATO aircraft struck 97% of their targets, and seriously damaged more than 80% of them. 708 of the bombs dropped were precision-guided munitions . The aircraft involved in the campaign operated from Italian air bases, such as Aviano Air Base , and from
1798-540: The air raids and gave an ultimatum to Bosnian Serb leaders. The deadline was set as 4 September. On 5 September 1995, NATO resumed air attacks on Bosnian Serb positions around Sarajevo and near the Bosnian Serb headquarters at Pale after the Bosnian Serbs failed to comply with the ultimatum. On the night of 10 September, the Ticonderoga -class cruiser USS Normandy launched a Tomahawk missile strike from
1860-663: The army began to integrate into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina . In 2005 a fully integrated unit of Serbs, Bosniaks, and Croats was deployed to augment the US-led coalition forces in Iraq . On 6 June 2006, it was fully integrated into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina controlled by the Ministry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The supreme commander of the VRS was General Ratko Mladić , later indicted at
1922-406: The attack, Bosnian Serb authorities tentatively expressed their will to accept Richard Holbrooke 's peace plan. In this attack, five shells were fired, but casualties were fewer—43 dead and 75 wounded. Republika Srpska authorities, as in the 1994 incident, denied all responsibility and accused the Bosnian government of bombarding its people to incite international outrage and possible intervention. In
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1984-416: The central Adriatic Sea against a key air defense radio relay tower at Lisina, near Banja Luka , while US Air Force F-15E and US Navy F/A-18 fighter-bombers hit the same targets with about a dozen precision-guided bombs , and F-16 jets attacked with Maverick missiles . On 14 September, NATO air strikes were suspended to allow the implementation of an agreement with Bosnian Serbs to include
2046-619: The control of the United Nations . This was in response to Bosnian Serb forces advancing on the UN-declared Safe Area of Srebrenica. Bosnian Serb warlord Ratko Mladić threatened to kill 50 UN peacekeepers who were seized as hostages and also threatened to shell the Muslim population in Srebrenica if NATO air strikes continued. The UN peacekeepers called off the air strikes and agreed to withdraw from Srebrenica as
2108-605: The control of the Army of Republika Srpska. The court would eventually find Galić guilty beyond reasonable doubt of all five shellings prosecutors had charged him with, including Markale. Although widely reported by the international media, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights noted that the verdict was ignored in Serbia itself. In 2007, Milošević, former commander of the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps,
2170-474: The direction of fire was 170 degrees, that is, Mount Trebevic, which was (Bosnian-Serb) SRK-held territory." A second ICTY Trial Chamber in the Momčilo Perišić trial also found that "the mortar shell was fired from the (Bosnian-Serb) VRS held territory on the slopes of Mt. Trebevic." Colonel Andrei Demurenko, a Russian national, asserted that UNPROFOR's research was flawed, as it began from the conclusion that
2232-487: The evidence and ruled that the conclusion that the shells had been fired from a location occupied by Serb forces was a reasonable one; nevertheless, Radovan Karadžić during his trial before ICTY tried to use this claim to his defence, but was found guilty. The first massacre occurred between 12:10 and 12:15, on 5 February 1994, when a 120-millimeter mortar shell landed in the center of the crowded marketplace. Republika Srpska authorities denied all responsibility and accused
2294-606: The exclusion zones and the shelling of safe areas, NATO aircraft carried out air strikes against Bosnian Serb ammunition depots in Pale . In retaliation, the Bosnian Serbs took 370 UN peacekeepers in Bosnia hostage and subsequently used them as human shields at potential targets in a successful bid to prevent further air strikes. On 2 June, two US Air Force F-16 jets were sent on patrol over Bosnia in support of Operation Deny Flight. While on patrol, an F-16 piloted by Captain Scott O'Grady
2356-711: The fighting force of the VRS itself was divided into six geographically-based Corps, all subordinate to, and under the command of, General Mladic and, in turn, the Commander-in-Chief, Radovan Karadzic. In July 1995, the six Corps were the Drina Corps, the 1st Krajina Corps, the 2nd Krajina Corps, the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps, the Hercegovina Corps and the East Bosnia Corps." Formerly known as Ratno Vazduhoplovstva i Protiv Vazdušna Odbrana Vojske Republike Srpske or RV i PVO RS . Beginning on 1 June 2004,
2418-637: The former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from which Bosnia and Herzegovina had seceded earlier in 1992. When the Bosnian War erupted, the JNA formally discharged 80,000 Bosnian Serb troops. These troops, who were allowed to keep their heavy weapons, formed the backbone of the newly formed Army of the Republika Srpska. The VRS was made up largely of ethnic Serbs from Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also included ca. 4,000 foreign Orthodox Christian volunteers. 700 of whom came from Russia , and 300–800 from Bulgaria . 100 Greeks also volunteered to fight on
2480-569: The immediate instigating factor behind NATO's decision to launch the operation. The operation was carried out between 30 August and 20 September 1995, involving 400 aircraft and 5,000 personnel from 15 nations. Commanded by Admiral Leighton W. Smith Jr. , the campaign struck 338 Bosnian Serb targets, many of which were destroyed. Overall, 1,026 bombs were dropped during the operation, 708 of which were precision-guided. On 19 occasions, depleted uranium munitions were used against targets around Sarajevo and Han Pijesak . The bombing campaign
2542-540: The judgement was made that beyond reasonable doubt all mortar rounds fired in the attack on the Markale Market were fired from Bosnian Serb territory." The UNPROFOR investigation concluded that "Based on the evidence presented, the firing position of the five mortars was in BSA territory and probably fired from the Lukavica area at a range of between 3,000 and 5,000 meters." As soon as technical and weather conditions allowed, and
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2604-556: The night of the attack that he believed the Bosnian Army fired the shell, but said it was "impossible" to determine which side conducted the attack. 43°51′35″N 18°25′27″E / 43.85972°N 18.42417°E / 43.85972; 18.42417 Army of Republika Srpska The Army of Republika Srpska ( Serbian : Војска Републике Српске/Vojska Republike Srpske ; ВРС/ VRS ), commonly referred to in English as
2666-485: The novelist who became the Republika Srpska's information minister, put it, 'We Serbs never kill civilians.'" Former UN observer Jan Segers claims that the UN forces were "almost sure" that the Serbs were not responsible for the February 1994 shelling. There were rumours of an explosive planted under a stall. Former UN official John Russell who carried out a crater analysis at the February 1994 site wrote in his journal on
2728-491: The request of the UN, NATO authorized the Commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples (CINCSOUTH), US Admiral Jeremy Boorda, to launch air strikes against artillery and mortar positions in and around Sarajevo that were determined by UNPROFOR to be responsible for attacks against civilian targets. Only Greece did not support the use of air strikes, but it did not veto the proposal. The council also issued an ultimatum at
2790-453: The request of the UNPROFOR, two US A-10 Thunderbolts located and strafed a Bosnian Serb anti-tank vehicle near Sarajevo after the Serbs seized weapons that had been impounded by UN troops and attacking a UN helicopter. Afterwards, the Serbs agreed to return the remaining heavy weapons. On 22 September 1994, NATO aircraft carried out an air strike against a Bosnian Serb tank at the request of UNPROFOR. On 25–26 May 1995, after violations of
2852-600: The safe area of Goražde, and threatened the use of NATO air power if this safe area was threatened or attacked. On 1 August, the Council took similar decisions aimed at deterring attacks on the safe areas of Sarajevo, Bihać, and Tuzla. On 4 August, NATO aircraft conducted air strikes against Croat Serb air defense radars near Udbina airfield and Knin in Croatia. On 10 August, the Commanders of CINCSOUTH and UNPROFOR concluded
2914-678: The safety of UN personnel traveling through Serb territory was secured, Operation Deliberate Force commenced, a sustained bombing campaign against Bosnian Serb forces. In contrast to UNPROFOR's finding that the fatal shell had been fired from the direction of Lukavica, the ICTY Trial Chamber in the Dragomir Milošević case was "persuaded by the evidence of the BiH police, the UNMOs and the first UNPROFOR investigation, which concluded that
2976-471: The shell. In December 2003, the ICTY Trial Chamber in the trial against Stanislav Galić , a Serb general in the siege of Sarajevo (for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity ), concluded that the massacre was committed by Serb forces around Sarajevo. The second massacre occurred about 18 months later, at around 11:00 on 28 August 1995. Just several hours before
3038-410: The shells were fired from Bosnian Serb positions and didn't test any other hypothesis; and that he, immediately visiting the supposed mortar locations, found that neither of them could be used to fire the shells. He concluded that Bosnian Serb forces had been falsely blamed for the attack to justify NATO attacks against Serbia. David Harland , the former head of UN Civil Affairs in Bosnia, claimed at
3100-538: The side of the Bosnian Serbs, forming the Greek Volunteer Guard which allegedly participated in the Srebrenica massacre . A number of Romanians and Ukrainians fought as well on the Bosnian Serb side. After the war, the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina had two armies, that of the VRS and the Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH). AFBiH was itself composed of two elements,
3162-501: The trial of General Dragomir Milošević in ICTY, that he was responsible for the creation of the myth that UNPROFOR was unable to determine who had fired the mortar shells that caused the second Markale massacre. The myth that has survived for more than ten years, Harland said, was created because of a "neutral statement" made by General Rupert Smith , the UNPROFOR commander. On the day of the second Markale attack, General Smith stated "it
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#17327810601683224-632: The use of force by UNPROFOR in the protection of specially designated safe zones. Operation Sharp Guard , a naval blockade in the Adriatic Sea by NATO and the Western European Union , was approved at a joint session of NATO and the WEU on 8 June and began on 15 June. On 6 February 1994, a day after the first Markale marketplace massacre, UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali formally requested NATO to confirm that air strikes would be carried out immediately. On 9 February, agreeing to
3286-459: The war ended. On 9 October 1992, the UNSC passed Resolution 781 , prohibiting unauthorized military flights in Bosnian airspace. This resolution led to Operation Sky Monitor , where NATO monitored violations of the no-fly zone, but it did not take action against violators of the resolution. On 31 March 1993, in response to 500 documented violations, the UNSC passed Resolution 816 , which authorized states to use measures "to ensure compliance" with
3348-454: The withdrawal of heavy weapons from the Sarajevo exclusion zone. The initial 72-hour suspension was eventually extended to 114 hours. Finally on 20 September, General Bernard Janvier and Admiral Leighton W. Smith, Jr. agreed that the resumption of air strikes was not necessary, as Bosnian Serbs had complied with the conditions set out by the UN, and so the operation was terminated. The two French airmen who were captured after their Mirage 2000N
3410-639: Was also roughly conterminous with Operation Mistral 2 , two linked military offensives of the Croatian Army , the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina , and the Croatian Defence Council launched in western Bosnia. The campaign also lifted the siege of Sarajevo which led to the way for a negotiated settlement . The Bosnian War was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1 April 1992 and 14 December 1995. After popular pressure, NATO
3472-545: Was asked by the United Nations to intervene in the Bosnian War after allegations of war crimes against civilians were made. In response to the refugee and humanitarian crisis in Bosnia, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 743 on 21 February 1992, creating UNPROFOR. The UNPROFOR mandate was to keep the population alive and deliver humanitarian aid to refugees in Bosnia until
3534-510: Was downed by Bosnian Serb forces on 30 August 1995, Lt. Jose Souvignet and Capt. Frederic Chiffot, were released only upon the end of the Bosnian War, on 12 December 1995. Upon being released, they told reporters that they had been treated well while in captivity. In December 1995, NATO dispatched a 60,000-strong peacekeeping force into Bosnia as part of the IFOR to enforce the Dayton Peace Agreement to secure peace and prevent renewed hostilities between three warring factions. In December 1996,
3596-408: Was found guilty of the shelling and sniper terror campaign against Sarajevo and its citizens from August 1994 to late–1995. He was sentenced to 33 years in prison. The Trial Chamber concluded the Markale town market had been hit on 28 August 1995 by a 120 mm mortar shell fired from the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps positions. In 2009, however, the ICTY Appeals Chamber overturned Milošević's conviction for
3658-427: Was in Pale. Within the framework of the VRS, immediately subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief, was the Main Staff of the VRS, headquartered in Han Pijesak and commanded by General Ratko Mladic. It was the responsibility of the Commander of the Main Staff to issue regulations, orders and instructions regarding the implementation of orders by the Commander-in-Chief, and to discharge the command duties delegated to him by
3720-430: Was integrated into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina . Forces of the VRS engaged in several campaigns, including Operation Corridor 92 , Operation Vrbas '92 , Operation Bura , and Operation Spider ; they were also involved in the siege of Sarajevo , as well as the Srebrenica massacre . The Army of the Republika Srpska (VRS) was founded on 12 May 1992 from the remnants of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) of
3782-471: Was part of the UNPROFOR deployed on Mount Igman to support the task of NATO ' s aircraft by pounding Serb artillery positions. On 30 August, a French Mirage 2000N was shot down by a Bosnian Serb shoulder-fired 9K38 Igla near Pale . On 1 September, NATO and UN demanded the lifting of the Serb's Siege of Sarajevo , removal of heavy weapons from the heavy weapons exclusion zone around Sarajevo, and complete security of other UN safe areas. NATO stopped
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#17327810601683844-421: Was shot down by a Bosnian Serb 2K12 Kub surface-to-air missile. O'Grady was forced to eject from the aircraft. Six days later, he was rescued by US Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit from USS Kearsarge . The event would come to be known as the Mrkonjić Grad incident. On 11 July, NATO aircraft attacked targets in the Srebrenica area of Bosnia and Herzegovina as identified by and under
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