Annex VI - part 2/10
Chronology of the battle and siege of Sarajevo
- April 1992
- May 1992
- June 1992
- July 1992
- August 1992
- September 1992
- October 1992
- November 1992
- December 1992
- January 1993
- February 1993
- March 1993
- April 1993
- May 1993
- June 1993
- July 1993
- August 1993
- September 1993
- October 1993
- November 1993
- December 1993
- January 1994
- February 1994
D. July 1992
1. 1/7/92 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Serb forces were reported to have
withdrawn from the airport area which was to be placed under UN
control. The situation in Sarajevo itself was reported as
volatile as sporadic fighting continued throughout the city.
Source(s): Washington Post.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
Despite Monday's dispatch of UN troops from Croatia to take
control of the Sarajevo airport, Sarajevo itself remained
volatile as sporadic fighting continued throughout the city.
Serbian forces were reported to have withdrawn from the Sarajevo
airfield, and they were also reported to have taken their large
artillery weapons with them. Muslim forces had likewise been
persuaded to reduce their fire in the airport area. *446
One hundred twenty-five French marines arrived at the
airport and 1,000 members of the Canadian Mechanized Infantry and
80 armoured vehicles were scheduled to arrive on 2 July. These
Canadian infantry forces were scheduled to be replaced within
three weeks by combined UN peace-keeping forces from France, the
Ukraine and Egypt. *447
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
2. 2/7/92 (Thursday)
(a) Military Activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- BiH and Serbian forces continued to
exchange artillery fire around the airport.
Source(s): Agence
France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
Following a series of delays that kept a Canadian mechanized
infantry battalion stranded for three days on its 250 mile
journey from Croatia, the Canadian battalion, commanded by
Lieutenant Colonel Michel Jones, fought its way through a Serb
roadblock 74 miles north-west of Sarajevo and deployed 40 of its
80 armoured vehicles around the perimeter of the Sarajevo
airport. The airport was then declared ready for up to eight
incoming relief flights a day. «The airport is now transformed.
This is a military operation now», said Captain Raymond Hauben,
commander of the United Nations peace-keeping forces at the
airport. Asked what would happen if the warring sides opened
fire on them, he said: «Anybody who shoots at us now won't live
long. The time for these games is over». *450
An UNPROFOR spokesman said that BiH and Serbians continued
to exchange artillery fire around the airport as 60 UN observers
awaited the
Canadians. *451
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
3. 3/7/92 (Friday)
(a) Military Activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Continued fighting was reported in
the city, particularly in the area of Grbavica. Heavy machine-gun
fire was reported in the western suburbs and sniper fire and
occasional tank shells were reported in and around the city.
Source(s): Washington Post, Agence France Presse; Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Vicinity of the town hall, to the rear of the
Presidency; Sarajevo Zoo.
Source(s): Agence France Presse;
Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Three to four shells fell in the vicinity
of the town hall, immediately to the rear of the Presidency;
three tank shells struck near the Sarajevo Zoo, killing seven
Muslims picnicking nearby, including three children.
Source(s):
Agence France Presse; Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Seven Bosnian Muslims picnicking near the Sarajevo
Zoo (including three children) were killed when a tank opened
fire from a distance of 1200 yards; The BiH Public Health
Ministry reported that 1359 people had been killed in Sarajevo to
date. *456
Source(s): Reuters; The BiH Health Ministry.
- Narrative of Events :
-
UN military monitors had been permitted at about 10 sites
where Serb guns were within firing range of the airport, but Serb
officials stated that they would continue to shell the city
itself while sparing the airport. *457
Despite the arrival in Sarajevo of Europe's chief peace
broker, Lord Carrington, no progress towards a political
settlement was made. This stalemate was blamed in part by the
BiH President's refusal to negotiate until all Serb heavy
artillery and tanks were put under UN control and a republic-wide
cease-fire held for at least seven days. *458 Shortly before
Lord Carrington's arrival in an armoured convoy, three to four
mortar shells fell in the vicinity of the town hall, immediately
to the rear of the Presidential Building. There were no reports
of any injuries. *459
Continued fighting was reported in the city, particularly in
the area of Grbavica. According to Slovenia tourist Milo
Zdravic, age 39 non-Serb residents of the area had been forced at
gun point into labour gangs. *460
Heavy machine-gun fire was reported in the western suburbs
bordering the Sarajevo airport. *461
Sarajevo TV reported Serb sniper fire and occasional tank
shells. Three tank shells were reported to have struck near the
Sarajevo Zoo. This shelling killed seven Muslims picnicking
nearby, including three children who had been climbing a cherry
tree. *462 The news agency of BiH said that the children were
killed at the village of Kobilja Glava on the outskirts of
Sarajevo when a tank opened fire from a distance of 1,200 yards.
*463
(b) Local reported events
4. 4/7/92 (Saturday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The heaviest fighting for many days
erupted in the city overnight, shortly before midnight as heavy
artillery rounds hit Dobrinja. The firing appeared to hit closer
to the city after midnight. The fighting was reportedly confined
to Dobrinja until about 3:00 a.m., and then spread in intensity
to Grbavica. Sounds of heavy shells were heard until 8:00 a.m..
Serb forces reportedly exchanged mortar and small-arms fire with
BiH forces in the evening and the Old Town came under heavy
mortar fire overnight.
Source(s): Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- UN relief distribution site in the downtown area;
Dobrinja area; area near the Holiday Inn; a house located 100
yards from an aircraft hangar at the airport; the Old Town area.
Source(s): Washington Post; Agence France Presse; Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- A rocket smashed into a house
approximately 100 yards from an aircraft hangar at the airport.
Source(s): Washington Post; Agence France Presse; Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Four children killed and four others injured in
«general assault» by Serb fighters in the western suburbs near
the city airport; two Canadian UN soldiers were slightly injured
by ricocheting bullets in Dobrinja.
Source(s): Agence France
Presse; Reuters.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Another 10 relief flights reached the Sarajevo airport while
the city itself continued to be subjected to sniper fire and
artillery and rocket attacks, including one on a UN relief
distribution site in the downtown
area. *467
The heaviest fighting for many days erupted in the city,
shortly before midnight, as heavy artillery rounds crashed into
the western suburb of Dobrinja and red tracer fire was seen
coming form Serbian positions in the hills surrounding the city.
The firing appeared to come closer to the centre of the city
shortly after midnight with heavy firing close to the Holiday Inn
Hotel where the UN forces were lodged. The fighting erupted
after Lord Carrington of Britain, the chief European Community
negotiator, left the city saying he was dispirited by the lack of
progress in talks with the leaders of the warring factions. *468
Explosions could be seen and constant firing could be heard
from the western suburb of the city near the airport which had
recently been secured by Canadian peace-keeping troops. The
fighting then moved closer to the city's downtown as gunners
opened fire from the hills and the city's defenders fired back.
*469
The heavy overnight fighting in the city died down in the
morning, raising hopes that UN relief flights into Sarajevo would
continue as scheduled. The fighting ofthe prior evening, confined
until 3:00 a.m. to the Dobrinja district, later spread towards
the centre of the city, gaining in intensity in the suburb of
Grbavica as dawn broke. The sounds of heavy shells and anti-
aircraft fire were reportedly heard until 8:00 a.m.. It was
reported by the United Nations that the city centre seemed to
have escaped heavy damage and the headquarters of the UN
peacekeepers in the central post office was not threatened at any
point. *470 UN officials decided that relief flights into the
city would continue after the fierce overnight fighting died
down. *471
Artillery exchanges were reported to have intensified early
in the western suburbs near the city airport. BiH radio said
that a «general assault» by Serb fighters had been repulsed,
leaving four children dead and four others wounded. BiH radio
also said that Serb militiamen had forced Muslims from their
homes in the Grbavica district, located near the
airport. *472
At the airport, a rocket smashed into a house approximately
100 yards from an aircraft hanger just minutes before a British
relief flight
landed. *473
UN spokesman Fred Eckhard reported that two Canadian UN
soldiers were slightly injured by ricocheting bullets in
Dobrinja. *474
Serb forces reportedly exchanged mortar and small-arms fire
with the city's defenders in the evening. «The night was
definitely quieter than Friday but that only means that heavy
artillery was not used», Sarajevo radio editor Zoran Pirolic
said. Small-arms fire was heard throughout the city from late
evening into the morning, but no heavy shells were reported. The
old part of the city came under mortar fire for several hours
overnight, and fires could be seen in Dobrinja. Anti-aircraft
fire and heavy machine-guns were also heard in the districts of
Marijin Dvor, Hrasno and Mojmilo. *475
5. 5/7/92 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Automatic weapons and occasional
mortar blasts were reported early in the day but the firing was
not as intense as the previous night.
Source(s): Washington Post.
- Targets Hit :
- Area near the airport where UN peace-keeping forces
were unloading relief supplies; unspecified areas in the city.
Source(s): Washington Post; Agence France Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Three people were injured by Serbian sniper
fire while driving on the road into the city centre.
Source(s):
Agence France Presse.
- Casualties :
- Three people were injured by sniper fire; BiH's
Crisis Committee reported that 1,359 people had been killed in
Sarajevo alone since the fighting started. The committee put the
toll in the Republic as a whole at 7,561 dead and more than
27,000 wounded. *476
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Washington
Post.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Another 14 relief flights arrived in Sarajevo airport
carrying 110 tons of supplies, but as UN peace-keeping forces
were unloading these supplies they were occasionally subjected to
bursts of automatic weapon fire and nearby shelling. *477
Automatic weapons and occasional mortar blasts were reported
early in the day but the firing was not as intense as the
previous night. *478 Sporadic artillery, mortar and small-arms
fire hit the city as the Commander of UNPROFOR, General Satish
Nambiar, visited the city. *479
Three people were reportedly injured by Serbian sniper fire
while driving on the road into the city centre. *480
(b) Local reported events
6. 6/7/92 (Monday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Sporadic mortar blasts and
automatic gunfire were reported in the city through the night and
shooting was heard in the Dobrinja district near the airfield.
Mortar, light artillery and sniper attacks continued from the
suburbs west of the airport, especially the Dobrinja district.
Source(s): Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Holiday Inn; Old Town area; the Parliament building.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Serb snipers were reported to be firing on the
city from buildings and hillside vantage points.
Source(s):
Agence France Presse.
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
Sporadic mortar blasts and automatic gunfire was reported in
the city through the night and shooting was heard in the Dobrinja
district near the airfield. *483
Mortar, light artillery and sniper attacks continued from
the suburbs west of the airport, especially the Dobrinja
district. Serb snipers, from buildings and hillside vantage
points, maintained fire on the city itself and witnesses reported
heavy fighting in the morning. A nurse at the main hospital
stated that there had been «casualties, as there are every day»,
but did not reveal the numbers of killed and wounded. *484
Mortar fire was reported as hitting the old Muslim quarter, and
the Parliament Building. *485 Several rooms of the Holiday Inn
were reportedly struck by mortar fire. *486
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
7. 7/7/92 (Tuesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Fifteen tank rounds hit the area
around the Holiday Inn. Firing extended east toward the city
centre. The fighting eased later. Heavy artillery and light
weapon fire was heard late in the evening in and around the city.
Source(s): Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- American C-130 cargo jet; the area near the Holiday
Inn; the area extending east toward the city centre and the
Presidency building.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- American C-130 cargo jet hit by small-arms
fire, slightly injuring one serviceman; 15 tank rounds hit the
area around the Holiday Inn.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Sniping Activity :
- It was reported that sniper fire had doubled
in intensity in the city centre since Monday. Agence France
Presse noted that snipers' single shots were sometimes followed
by bursts of machine-gun fire from BiH police or militiamen
shooting at targets. *490 According to UN sources, French
UNPROFOR soldiers twice returned fire in the past few days when
their armoured personnel carriers became the targets of snipers
on the road from the airport to the city centre. *491
Source(s):
Agence France Presse; Reuters.
- Casualties :
- One American serviceman was slightly injured.
Source(s):Agence France Presse.
- Narrative of Events :
-
A Pentagon spokesman said that a US serviceman aboard an
American C-130 cargo jet was slightly injured by debris projected
by small-arms fire at Sarajevo airport during the day. *492
It was reported that 15 tank rounds hit the area around the
Holiday Inn Hotel, home of most of the international press corps,
and that firing extended east toward the city centre and the
Presidency building. Fighting eased later and UNPROFOR armoured
personnel carriers began patrolling the city centre.
The battle erupted after BiH President Alija Izetbegovic
assured the UNPROFOR commander, General Lewis MacKenzie, that BiH
forces had no intent of breaking out of the city to link up with
Croatian troops to the west. The combat was reported to be the
worst since the warring parties agreed to a partial cease-fire
last month to allow an international airlift of emergency aid to
begin. *493
Heavy artillery fire and light weapon fire was heard late in
the evening in and around the city. The fighting was reported
only hours after the G-7 leaders expressed support for possible
military action. There was speculation that a heavy barrage of
mortar fire originated from BiH forces seeking to break out of
the city's siege. The night sky was lit up by flares fired to
help BiH troops in their attack. *494
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
8. 8/7/92 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Some of the fiercest fighting was
reported overnight and throughout the day and night. The
overnight fighting died down in the city as dawn broke.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Oslobodjenje building; a number of unidentified
buildings in the city centre.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- The Oslobodjenje building and a number of
other buildings in the city centre were reported ablaze.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Sarajevo radio reported that in the last 24 hours,
11 people had been killed in Sarajevo, and 41 were wounded. *501
Source(s): Reuters; Sarajevo Radio.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Some of the fiercest fighting was reported to have occurred
late Tuesday night and throughout the day and night on Wednesday,
just hours after the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako
Ogata, completed her tour of
Sarajevo. *502
The overnight fighting in Sarajevo died down in the centre
of the city as dawn broke, but a number of buildings were ablaze,
including the headquarters of the newspaper, Oslobodjenje. *503
(b) Local reported events
BiH President Alija Izetbegovic said in an interview with
the New York Times that he would ask US President George Bush for
arms and ammunition to prevent mass killing of civilians if Serb
forces overran the city. «I'm afraid the population would be
subjected to a terrible slaughter as a revenge for their 100 or
200 days of resistance», he said. *504
Sadako Ogata, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, after
meeting with representatives of the warring factions stated: «The
airlift is not the solution, far from the solution. So far,
there have been 84 flights and more than 900 tons of supplies, .
. . but the main emphasis must be on land convoys. Sarajevo is
not the only place that needs assistance». *505
(c) International reported events
9. 9/7/92 (Thursday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- At 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Serbian
forces advanced under heavy mortar and rocket fire to several
points along the Miljacka River, but at 1:00 a.m., the offensive
had been beaten back (though shelling continued overnight). Heavy
fighting continued in the afternoon and resumed at approximately
4:00 p.m. between the UN headquarters and the airport.
Source(s):
New York Times; Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- UN armoured personnel carrier, 200 metres from the
UNPROFOR headquarters; an unidentified large building between UN
headquarters and the airport.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- A UN armoured personnel carrier was
reportedly hit by carbine or assault rifle bullets; an
unidentified large building between UN headquarters and the
airport was reportedly ablaze.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Sniping Activity :
- Constant sniping, small-arms fire and
occasional mortar rounds were reported in the morning.
Source(s):
Reuters.
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
At 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday night, Serbian infantry forces
advanced under heavy mortar and rocket fire to several points
along the Miljacka River, which runs through the city centre. By
1:00 a.m. Thursday, the offensive had been beaten back but the
shelling continued throughout the night. *507
Fighting in Sarajevo eased in the morning to comparative
normality, which included constant sniping, small-arms fire and
occasional mortar
rounds. *508
Heavy fighting erupted again in the afternoon after a three-
hour lull and two UN convoys came under fire. The convoys came
under fire around midday less than 200 metres from the UN peace-
keeping forces headquarters. One armoured car was hit,
apparently by carbine or assault rifle bullets. *509
Armed clashes between Serbs and BiH forces resumed at
approximately 4:00 p.m. between the UN headquarters and Sarajevo
airport. Within minutes of the resumption, the fighting appeared
to be very heavy. A large building was reported to be ablaze.
Fighting was also reported further east near the city centre with
shelling, mortar, and small-arms fire reported. *510
(b) International reported events
10. 10/7/92 (Friday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Occasional gunfire was reported in
the city as the sides exchanged artillery and machine-gun fire
overnight. Fighting was also reported in Dobrinja.
Source(s):
Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Canadian UNPROFOR barracks (former Yugoslav army's
Halilovici barracks located in Vitkovac, 400 metres north of the
UNPROFOR Sarajevo headquarters); the Holiday Inn; the city
centre.
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- The Canadian UNPROFOR barracks was hit by
three mortar rounds at around 7:40 p.m.. One mortar round
exploded in a building used as a quartermaster's store, while the
two others fell on the car park, causing damage but no injuries;
three mortars hit the Holiday Inn.
Source(s): Agence France
Presse; Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Sarajevo Radio reported that one person died in
street battles in the Dobrinja district and one other was killed
in the shelling of the city centre.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Only occasional gunfire was reported in the city after Serbs
and Muslim and Croat fighters exchanged artillery and machine-gun
fire during the
night. *514
Two Canadian members of the UN peace-keeping force were
wounded early Saturday as fighting flared around the airport.
The two UN «blue berets» stationed at Sarajevo airport were hit
by small-arms fire around 2:00 a.m.. They were not seriously
injured and there were no plans to evacuate them. The attack
came after three mortar rounds hit a barracks used by the
Canadian members of UNPROFOR. The bombardment of the former
Yugoslav army's Halilovici barracks occurred at around 7:30 p.m.
One mortar round exploded in a building used as a quartermaster's
store, while the two others fell on the car park, causing damage
but no injuries. The barracks were located in Vitkovac, 400
metres north of the UN force's headquarters in Sarajevo. *515
Three mortars hit the Holiday Inn. Radio Sarajevo reported
that one person died in street battles in the Dobrinja district
and another person was killed in the shelling of the city centre.
*516
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
11. 11/7/92 (Saturday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Sarajevo came under renewed heavy
bombardment after three days of relative calm. Dobrinja
reportedly was hit by more than 100 shells overnight.
Source(s):
New York Times; Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- The city and the hospital; Dobrinja area; the
Parliament building; a UN armoured personnel carrier at a point
halfway between the UN headquarters and the BiH Presidency
Building.
Source(s): Reuters; Sarajevo Radio; New York Times.
- Description of Damage :
- The Parliament building was hit and set
afire, but was quickly extinguished; a rocket propelled grenade
fired from the Serb occupied hillside position narrowly missed a
UN armoured personnel carrier halfway between the UN headquarters
and the BiH Presidency Building. When the UN soldiers emerged
from the damaged vehicle they came under fire from machine-gun
and anti-aircraft weapons which killed two to three civilians and
wounded three others.
Source(s): Reuters; Sarajevo Radio; New
York Times.
- Sniping Activity :
- Despite the relative calm in the city, snipers
reportedly killed at least three people looking for food. *520
Source(s): Reuters.
- Casualties :
- The Muslim and Croat crisis headquarters reported two
people killed and numerous others wounded in the overnight
fighting *521; two to three civilians were killed and three
others were wounded after an attack on a UN armoured personnel
carrier at a point halfway between the UN headquarters and the
BiH Presidency Building; three people were killed by snipers
while looking for food; the BiH Public Health Ministry reported
that 1420 people had been killed and 8040 people had been wounded
in Sarajevo to date. *522
Source(s): New York Times; Reuters; BiH
Public Health Ministry.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Overnight, Serb forces on the Trebevic mountain overlooking
Sarajevo shelled the city and hit the hospital, Zoran Pirolic,
Sarajevo radio director said. He also said that «the brunt of
the artillery attack was sustained, as usual, by Dobrinja, where
more than 100 shells fell until dawn». The BiH parliament
building was also hit and set afire but the fire was quickly
extinguished, Pirolic said. *523
As dawn broke, the fighting and shelling reportedly eased.
*524
Sarajevo came under renewed heavy bombardment after three
days of relative quiet. *525
A rocket propelled grenade fired from the Serb occupied
hillside position narrowly missed a United Nations' armoured
personnel carrier at a point half way between the UN headquarters
and the BiH Presidency building. When the UN soldiers emerged
from the damaged vehicle they came under fire from machine-gun
and anti-aircraft weapons. Two or three civilians were killed
and three more were wounded. President Izetbegovic had been
expected to arrive in the city at the same time in a similar UN
vehicle. *526
(b) Local reported events
12. 12/7/92 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Sporadic shelling was reported, but
there were no fierce battles. Sniping was said to be a major
problem.
Source(s): Reuters; Sarajevo Radio.
- Targets Hit :
- Some central areas; Hrasnica area.
Source(s):Reuters; Sarajevo Radio; BiH Crisis Headquarters.
- Description of Damage :
- In Hrasnica, four children were reported
killed and two seriously wounded in a mortar attack.
Source(s):Reuters; Sarajevo Radio; BiH Crisis Headquarters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Constant sniper and small-arms fire was
reported in Dobrinja; a French relief aeroplane suffered minor
damage to its engine and fuselage from small-arms fire, probably
from a sniper rifle.
Source(s): New York Times; Reuters.
- Casualties :
- In Hrasnica, four children were killed and two
seriously wounded in a mortar attack.
Source(s): Reuters; BiH
Crisis Headquarters.
- Narrative of Events :
-
UN relief trucks crossed a no-man's land to the cut-off
Muslim suburb of Dobrinja where 35,000 civilians were under
siege. The UN trucks were allowed a five hour truce during which
they delivered 108 tons of food and medical supplies. When the
truce expired the suburb was once again isolated by constant
sniper and small-arms fire. *530
A French relief aeroplane suffered minor damage from small-
arms fire. A UN official stated that someone had been shooting
at incoming aircraft and the French aeroplane took three small-
arms shots, probably from a sniper rifle. The damage was not
reported as serious, with one bullet striking behind the engine
and two going through the fuselage. *531
Sarajevo radio reported sporadic shelling of some central
areas but said that there were no fierce battles. «It was a
quieter night. The main problem is now snipers», a Sarajevo
journalist said. *532
Radio Sarajevo reporters said that heavy shelling by Serb
forces was preventing ambulances from reaching dead and wounded
in the streets. *533
The BiH crisis headquarters reported that in Hrasnica, a
Sarajevo suburb, four children were reported killed and two
seriously wounded in a mortar attack. *534
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
13. 13/7/92 (Monday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The outskirts of the city including
Dobrinja was shelled on Sunday evening and died down after
midnight. A mortar bombardment was reported near the UN
headquarters in the city. Sporadic automatic weapons and mortar
fire continued throughout the day.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Four power transmission lines reportedly dynamited
by Serbian forces; area outside the UNPROFOR Headquarters hit by
13 mortars; the outskirts of the city, including the Dobrinja
District; the Serb-held Lukavica barracks.
Source(s): New York
Times, Helsinki Watch; Reuters; SRNA.
- Description of Damage :
- The dynamiting of four power transmission
lines idled the pumps providing the city with water; the mortar
attack of UNPROFOR Headquarters killed a teenager and wounded at
least four in the street outside.
Source(s): New York Times,
Helsinki Watch; Reuters; SRNA.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- One killed, and at least four wounded in the mortar
attack on UNPRPOFOR Headquarters; reports estimated that between
eight to 10 people were killed and 32 wounded in attacks; it was
also estimated that at least 25 people had been killed since
Saturday with dozens more severely wounded.
Source(s): Reuters;
New York Times.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Serbian forces marked the 100th day of the Sarajevo siege by
dynamiting four power transmission lines and knocking out power
to the city, idling the pumps providing the city with its water.
Morale was described as being at its lowest point. *538 Emergency
power was restored to some public buildings by generators, but
fuel for these generators was reported to be in short
supply. *539
A mortar bombardment shook the headquarters of the UN force
in Sarajevo and the UN said that the blasts killed a teenager and
wounded at least four in the street outside. Thirteen mortars
reportedly landed outside the headquarters within four minutes.
According to UN spokesman Mik Magnusson, «[m]ortars have landed
in the street and the parking lot adjacent to the building before
. . . but never anything like this». *540
Calm returned to the city after heavy artillery shelling
killed eight people. According to Sarajevo radio, the outskirts
of the city, including the district of Dobrinja, were shelled on
Sunday evening and everything died down after midnight. The
Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA said that the large Serb-held
Lukavica barracks outside the city came under artillery attack at
6:00 a.m.. *541
It was reported that sporadic automatic weapons exchanges
and mortar fire continued throughout the day and authorities said
that 10 people had been killed and 32 wounded. *542
The recent increase in artillery, mortar and rocket
bombardments reportedly killed at least 25 people since Saturday
and severely wounded dozens more. *543
(b) Local reported events
14. 14/7/92 (Tuesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The city was reported calm most of
the day following heavy bombardments on Monday. As night fell,
the bombardment began again with heavy artillery, mortar and
rocket attacks.
Source(s): Reuters; New York Times.
- Targets Hit :
- Area near the UN headquarters; the Bascarsija area.
Source(s): Reuters; New York Times.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Nearly continuous sniper fire was reported
around the airport with a Canadian sharpshooter fatally shooting
a Serb sniper who had slightly wounded another Canadian soldier.
Source(s): Washington Post.
- Casualties :
- One Serb sniper was killed and one Canadian soldier
was wounded in exchanges between snipers and Canadian forces near
the airport.
Source(s): Washington Post.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Croat forces appeared to be advancing on the city. UN
spokesman Mik Magnusson said that for the first time, Croat
forces had moved up from the coast. «It is a fair assumption
that they [Croats] are firing within six miles of Sarajevo», he
said. *547
Serbian forces reportedly were reinforced with new 155
millimetre howitzers from Serbia. *548
UN officials expressed concern about the nearly continuous
sniper fire around the airport. They revealed that a Canadian
sharpshooter fatally shot a Serb sniper who had slightly wounded
another Canadian soldier. *549
Sarajevo was reported calm most of the day following heavy
bombardments on Monday and 48 hours without electricity. *550
Mortar bombs were reported to have fallen near the UN
headquarters early in the day, but nobody was reported hurt. *551
As night fell, the bombardment began again with heavy
artillery, mortar and rocket attacks on the city centre area and
on Bascarsija, the old Muslim Quarter along the Miljacka River.
*552
(b) Local reported events
15. 15/7/92 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Serb forces reportedly shelled the
city centre and suburbs early in the morning and again in the
afternoon. Sniper fire was described as intense.
Source(s):
Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Sniping activity was described as intense: A
French aid worker was shot and wounded by a sniper; an eight year-
old boy was hit by sniper fire while crossing a bridge by the
River Miljacka, and efforts to rescue him resulted in additional
sniper fire.
Source(s): Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Casualties :
- One French aid worker was wounded by sniper fire;
an eight year-old boy was hit by sniper fire (condition not
specified); the Sarajevo Crisis Centre reported 13 dead and 72
wounded in the city as sniper fire and shelling hit Sarajevo's
streets on Wednesday; *557 an incomplete toll on the fighting in
the city said that 32 people had been killed and 130 wounded
between midday Tuesday and the same time Wednesday. *558
Source(s): Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Serb forces shelled the city centre and suburbs early in the
morning and again in the afternoon. A French aid worker was shot
and wounded by a sniper. Residents described the sniper fire in
the city as intense. *559
In one reported sniping incident, an eight year-old boy was
found on the embankment near one of the bridges crossing the
River Miljacka. Attempts by passers-by to drag the boy behind a
low wall failed as snipers opened fire on them too. It was
reported at one hospital that some 15 people were shot by snipers
on Sunday alone. *560
(b) International reported events
16. 16/7/92 (Thursday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Bombardment of the city continued
until the late evening.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Unidentified market.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- One person was killed, and seven others
were wounded in a mortar attack on an unidentified market.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- One person killed, seven wounded in a mortar bomb
attack on a busy market.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Narrative of Events :
-
A mortar bomb reportedly hit a busy market, killing one
person and wounding seven others. Police originally reported two
deaths in the latest of several mortar attacks on the market
during the week. *564
Sarajevo radio reported that Serbian forces kept up the
bombardment of the city until late in the evening. *565
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
Leaders of BiH's warring factions held a second day of
European Community-sponsored peace talks, still failing to sit
down face to face. Portuguese diplomat Jose Cutileiro began a
second round of talks in the afternoon with BiH Foreign Minister
Haris Silajdzic, who said Wednesday that he rejected any direct
talks with «war criminal» Radovan Karadzic unless Serb heavy guns
in Sarajevo were placed under UN control. *568
17. 17/7/92 (Friday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Sources reported a three-hour
bombardment of the city's old quarter and an area near the
televison station.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Marsal Tito Street (a few hundred yards from the BiH
Presidency); city's old quarter; the area near the television
station.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- At least four people were seriously
wounded by a shell which landed on Marsal Tito Street; houses
were reported afire after a three hour bombardment of the city's
old quarter and an area near the television station.
Source(s):
Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Sniper fire was reported around the main cross
roads in the city.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Casualties :
- At least four people were seriously wounded by a
shell which landed on Marsal Tito Street.
Source(s):Reuters.
- Narrative of Events :
-
An artillery shell slammed into a Sarajevo street, just a
few hundred yards from where British Foreign Secretary Douglas
Hurd was conferring with BiH President Alija Izetbegovic. At
least four people were seriously hurt in the blast. The shell,
believed to have been fired by Serb forces, landed on Marsal Tito
Street a few hundred yards from the BiH Presidency building.
Sniper fire was also reported around the main cross roads in the
city as Hurd arrived with 17 tons of relief supplies. *569
Serb shelling and mortar fire set houses afire early in the
day during a three hour bombardment of the city's old quarter and
an area near the television station. *570
(b) Local reported events
Major General Lewis Mackenzie asked to be relieved of his UN
command of the peace-keeping forces in Sarajevo because of a
series of death threats against him. His efforts to keep in
touch with all of the warring factions had reportedly cost him
the confidence of some groups. *571 Major General MacKenzie also
accused all sides of cheating, saying that they had heavy guns
that they had not declared. *572
(c) International reported events
18. 18/7/92 (Saturday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The evening shelling was quieter
than most during the week. Sporadic small-arms and automatic
weapons fire were heard in the centre of New Sarajevo, with the
last shots heard at about 7:00 a.m..
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Central Old Town and Dobrinja fell under several
mortar attacks.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
Gunfire gradually fell silent during Friday night and
through Saturday, 24 hours before the deadline for a two-week
cease-fire at 6:00 p.m.
Sunday. *576
«The night was quieter than most this week. There were
mortar exchanges and small-arms fire, but nothing as heavy as we
were getting used to», said Zoran Babic, a Sarajevo radio editor.
«There has been a letdown in fighting, but it nevertheless
persists. So it's too early to talk about a cease-fire, in which
all want to believe in, but few really do». Describing the
overnight exchanges of fire, UN spokesman Mik Magnusson said: «A
little noisy, but not too bad». The central Old Town and the
Dobrinja district fell under several mortar attacks, Babic said.
There was sporadic small-arms and automatic weapons fire in the
centre of new Sarajevo (a modern residential complex, most of
which was completed for the 1984 Winter Olympics Games). The
last shots were heard at 7:00 a.m. in the city centre near the
line separating the warring factions. *577
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
19. 19/7/92 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The warring factions exchanged fire
overnight, but shelling tapered off in the morning, just hours
before a cease-fire was to come into force. Twenty minutes before
the cease-fire, 29 mortar shells struck near the UN Headquarters
where negotiations were taking place. Sporadic mortar and machine-
gun fire continued several hours after the cease-fire was to
begin. Heavy fighting was reported in the evening.
Source(s):
Reuters; Agence France Presse; New York Times.
- Targets Hit :
- A French C-130 Hercules was struck by two bullets as
it landed; the radio and televison building; the Kosevsko Brdo
district (in the north of the city); 29 mortar shells exploded
250 yards from the UN Headquarters (cutting short a meeting there
between Panic and Izetbegovic).
Source(s): Reuters; Agence France
Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Snipers were reported as active in the morning.
Source(s): Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported that 1,467
people had been killed and 8,355 had been wounded in Sarajevo to
date. *580
Source(s): BiH Ministry of Public Health Bulletin.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Sources close to BiH territorial defence forces said that
fighting had broken out in the past few nights between armed
paramilitary groups, most notably those of Juka Prazina, or Robin
Hood as he is known to locals. *581
A French C-130 Hercules was hit by two bullets as it landed,
but the UN reported that nobody was hurt. *582
The warring factions exchanged fire overnight, but shelling
tapered off in the morning, hours before a cease-fire was to come
into force. Sarajevo radio journalist Jasna Ducic said that
Dobrinja was hardest hit in the fighting. The television and
radio building a few miles from the city centre was attacked in
the shelling which started at around midnight and eased at around
dawn. Artillery shelling and shooting were reported particularly
in the district of Kosevsko Brdo in the north of the city.
Snipers were reported as still active in the morning. There was
no immediate word on casualties. *583
Sporadic mortar and machine-gun fire continued several hours
after the cease-fire was to begin. Some reports were received
suggesting that the truce had failed to take hold immediately in
the places where the fighting had been most intense. *584
The meeting between Yugoslav Prime Minister, Milan Panic and
BiH President Izetbegovic was cut short by a barrage of 29
mortars that exploded 250 yards from the UN Building where they
were meeting. The meeting occurred just 20 minutes before the
cease-fire was to take effect. *585
Heavy fighting was reported in the evening. *586
(b) Local reported events
New Yugoslav Prime Minister Milan Panic flew to Sarajevo and
met BiH President Alija Izetbegovic for almost three hours at UN
military headquarters. Panic said that he offered to start peace
talks immediately with BiH leaders to end the conflict, saying
Yugoslavia and the Bosnian Serbs were ready to end «this stupid,
unbelievable, unconscionable war». He said that Bosnian Serbs
would put heavy weapons under control of the United Nations
around both the besieged town of Gorazde and Sarajevo itself.
*587 Izetbegovic told reporters that Panic appeared
«insufficiently informed» on what was happening in BiH and that
he doubted the Prime Minister could deliver on his promises to
rein in the Serb irregulars. *588
20. 20/7/92 (Monday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- A heavy mortar barrage exploded
near the airport just hours after a new cease-fire had begun.
This bombardment coincided with reported Serb shelling elsewhere
in the city.
Source(s): Washington Post.
- Targets Hit :
- The airport area, including an airport hangar; the
Presidency Building; a narrow street near the old military
hospital, near a bakery in the city centre; the Old Town area.
Source(s): Washington Post; Reuters; New York Times.
- Description of Damage :
- A heavy mortar barrage exploded around the
airport, injuring two Canadian soldiers and destroying an airport
hangar; three mortar rounds hit the Presidency Building, causing
at least 10 casualties (local radio said that five people were
killed); one mortar shell struck near a narrow street near the
old military hospital, near a bakery in the city centre, killing
two and wounding 12; four were killed by a mortar round in the
Old Town; two people were killed near the military hospital.
Source(s): Washington Post; Reuters; New York Times.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- two Canadian soldiers were wounded by shrapnel from
airport shelling; at least 10 unspecified casualties (local radio
reported five dead) after the shelling of the Presidency
Building; two people were killed and 12 were wounded from the
shelling near the old military hospital; Sarajevo Hospital
reported 15 killed and more than 100 others injured from the
day's shelling; another report counted 12 people killed
(including four killed by a mortar round in the Old Town, two
near the military hospital and five women in a mini-van).
Source(s): Washington Post; Reuters; New York Times.
- Narrative of Events :
-
UN officials halted their two week relief airlift when a
heavy mortar barrage exploded around the airport just hours after
the new cease-fire had begun. Among the casualties were two
Canadian soldiers who were struck by shrapnel. An airport hanger
was also destroyed by mortar fire. The airport bombardment
coincided with heavy Serb shelling elsewhere in the city. *589
UN spokesman Francois Giuliani said that three mortar rounds
landed on the Presidency Building, causing at least 10
casualties, but that it was not yet clear whether anyone was
killed. *590 Local radio said that five people were killed. *591
According to figures compiled by Sarajevo hospitals, the
most recent Serbian shelling killed 15 people and wounded more
than 100 others. One mortar shell struck a narrow street near
the old military hospital shortly before noon, killing two people
and wounding 12. *592 Another report stated that at least 12
people were killed in the city, among those were: four killed in
the old town, two near a military hospital, and five women in a
mini-
van. *593
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
21. 21/7/92 (Tuesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Shelling was reported on UN
targets. Sporadic artillery, machine-gun and small-arms fire
preceded heavy fighting that broke out at 11:30 p.m. in several
of the city's suburbs, with fighting and artillery duels
continuing until 4:00 a.m.. Four hundred explosions hit west of
the airport. Slight shelling and gunfire were reported in the
city centre overnight.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Sarajevo airport; relief vehicle at airport; UNHCR
food storage site and vehicles at airport; UNPROFOR «Tall Mike»
installation post; the area west of the airport; the Halilovici
barracks («Beaver Camp», housing Canadian UN forces north-east of
the airport); the city centre.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- Sarajevo airport was closed because of
shelling; several UNHCR vehicles were damaged at the airport and
the hangar where UNHCR stored its food supplies was hit between
two and 12 times by mortar fire; shrapnel from mortar rounds
damaged the antenna of a «Tall Mike» radar installation used by
Ukrainian UN troops to determine the origin of artillery fire;
400 explosions, most notably from 155 millimetre cannons landed
in points west of the airport; other 120 and 82 millimetre mortar
shells hit the Halilovici barracks (a.k.a. «Beaver Camp»), where
Canadian UN forces were housed three kilometres north-east of the
airport.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
Sarajevo airport was closed amid mortar and machine-gun fire
but reopened for humanitarian flights 80 minutes later. UNHCR
spokesman Ron Redmond stated that the closure was ordered by
Canadian General Lewis MacKenzie after a mortar round landed near
a UN control post. Before the closure order, six flights
bringing humanitarian aid had arrived in the city during the
morning--one each from France, Britain, Canada, Germany, Belgium
and Spain. *596 Annick Roulet, a UNHCR spokeswoman, stated that
the round of shelling began at 10:00 a.m. and damaged several
vehicles involved in the unloading of relief supplies. The
hangar where the UNHCR stored its food supplies and had its
offices was hit twice by the mortar fire and 19 UNHCR staffers
sought refuge in a bunker. Two cars belonging to UNHCR were also
hit. *597
Pilots continued to dodge bullets and shrapnel when the
airlift was resumed. Some of the worst fighting in three weeks
broke out west of the city late Tuesday night and early
Wednesday. *598
Shrapnel from mortar rounds reportedly damaged the antenna
of a «Tall Mike» radar installation used by Ukrainian UN troops
to determine the origin of artillery fire. UNPROFOR spokesman
Mik Magnusson said that he believed the installation could have
been the target. 12 mortar rounds fired at the same time hit the
nearby airport hangar used by staff of the UNHCR. Magnusson
stated that «blue berets» had pinpointed the path of the mortar
rounds that damaged the «Tall Mike», but had been unable to
determine which side fired them. *599
Sporadic artillery, machine-gun and small-arms fire preceded
heavy fighting that broke out at 11:30 p.m. in several of the
city's suburbs, including Ilidza, Butmir, Hrasnica, Dobrinja and
Stup among others, with fighting and artillery duels continuing
until 4:00 a.m.. A UN source said that 400 explosions, most
notably from 155 millimetre cannons, landed in points west of the
airport. Other 120 and 82 millimetre mortar shells fell on the
Halilovici barracks (a.k.a. «Beaver Camp»), where Canadian UN
forces were housed. No casualties were reported. Only slight
shelling and gunfire were reported in the city centre overnight,
and a relative calm prevailed there early on Wednesday. *600
(b) Local reported events
Major General Lewis MacKenzie, the outgoing commander of
UNPROFOR, criticized all parties to the conflict. He accused
them of mortaring their own positions in order to create the
impression that they were being fired upon. He also stated that
these same combatants were breaking the international rules of
war by setting up mortars beside hospitals, artillery units
beside schools, and by retaliating to military attacks by hitting
civilian targets. *601
22. 22/7/92 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- It was reported that overnight
there was heavy fighting with artillery and mortars. At mid-
afternoon the city was reported as «unusually calm».
Source(s):
Reuters; United Press International.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
Sporadic sniping and machine-gun fire persisted in the city
after a night of heavy fighting with artillery and mortars.
Fighting between Muslims and Serbs erupted near the airport after
midnight. The battles lasted for more than two hours before
tapering off into sporadic exchanges. *602
Sarajevo radio reported at mid-afternoon that the city was
«unusually calm». *603
(b) Local reported events
23. 23/7/92 (Thursday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- A police spokesman in the city said
there was scattered mortar and machine-gun fire overnight, but
overall, «it was the calmest night since Sunday».
Source(s):
United Press International.
- Targets Hit :
- CNN camera crew vehicle; unidentified public
kitchen; a crowded suburban street in Hrasnica.
Source(s):
Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- A car carrying a CNN camera crew came
under close range fire, seriously wounding a camera operator and
slightly wounding a correspondant.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- One report counted four people killed in the previous
24 hours ending at midday; another report counted at least five
people killed in the city and 30 wounded, including two members
of a CNN camera crew.
Source(s): United Press International;
Reuters.
- Narrative of Events :
-
A police spokesman in the city said that there was scattered
mortar and machine-gun fire overnight, but overall, «it was the
calmest night since Sunday». Despite the relative calm, four
people were reported killed in the previous 24 hours reported
shortly after midday. It was reported that on most previous
days, about 20 people were reported killed in the city. *606
Mortar attacks and exchanges of automatic weapons fire
killed at least five people in the city and wounded more than 30,
including members of a CNN camera crew. A car carrying a CNN
crew from a local television station came under fire, apparently
from close range. A camera operator, Margaret Moth was hit in
the face and neck and CNN described her injuries as life-
threatening. Correspondent Mark Dulmage was slightly wounded in
the face and in one arm by bullet fragments. *607
Mortar shells reportedly slammed into a public kitchen and a
crowded suburban street in the south-western district of
Hrasnica. *608
(b) Local reported events
24. 24/7/92 (Friday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The worst fighting in several days
was reported with intense battles between the warring factions in
districts around the city. Exploding shells were heard at
daybreak with battles resuming later in the morning and in the
evening.
Source(s): Reuters, Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Northern part of the city, mainly Kosevo.
Source(s):
Agence France Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
In the worst fighting in several days, intense battles
between the warring factions could be heard in districts around
the city. The heaviest fighting, with the sky lit up with tracers
and exploding shells was at daybreak. After tapering off, the
battles resumed later in the morning. *612
There was reported artillery fire and street fighting in the
northern part of the city, mainly Kosevo, site of the stadium and
skating rink from the 1984 winter Olympic games. *613
After a day of sporadic fighting, violent combat reportedly
broke out in the districts near the Presidential building in the
city just before 8:00 p.m.. *614
(b) Local reported events
25. 25/7/92 (Saturday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The UN reported that the day's
activity included mostly small-arms fire, mainly from the west
end of the city, but not much artillery activity.
Source(s):
Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Dobrinja apartment settlement, Hrasno Hill and the
central Grbavica neighbourhood; area close to the Presidency
building.
Source(s): United Press International; Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- At least six people were wounded by a Serb-
fired mortar round that exploded close to the Presidency
building; several mortar shells hit Dobrinja.
Source(s): United
Press International; Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- At least three killed and 23 wounded in fighting
overnight; at least six people wounded during the day near the
Presidency building.
Source(s): United Press International.
- Narrative of Events :
-
At least three people were killed and 23 wounded in
artillery fire and fighting overnight in several areas of the
city, including the western Dobrinja apartment settlement, Hrasno
Hill and the central Grbavica neighbourhood. *617
Sporadic shellfire and small-arms clashes hit Sarajevo
during the day, with at least six people injured by a Serb-fired
mortar round that exploded close to the downtown Presidency
building. *618
Residents reported sporadic exchanges of machine-gun fire in
the centre of the city and several mortar bombs smashed into the
district of
Dobrinja. *619
UN spokesman Mik Magnusson said that mostly infantry
fighting broke out in the city late in the day and that the
airport came under small-arms fire. «So far it's being
relatively noisy, but mostly small-arms fire, mainly from the
west end of the city. Artillery was not having a busy night», he
said. *620
(b) Local reported events
There were continued reports circulating that BiH President
Izetbegovic's talks in Zagreb with Croatian President Tudjman,
suggested that the BiH army headquarters in Sarajevo might be
moved closer to Croatia. Croatian officials were reported to
have demanded that BiH hand over 17 senior officers who were
accused of have having taken part (while still officers in the
Yugoslav Army) in attacks that devastated Vukovar and several
other populations centres in Croatia last year. *621
A UN directed convoy from Sarajevo heading towards Gorazde
was stuck overnight in a mine field. Two of the convoy trucks
were destroyed when they struck mines. A recovery team of 27 men
was dispatched from UN headquarters in Sarajevo. *622
26. 26/7/92 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Fighting continued in the city and
artillery shells and mortars hit buildings in Novo Sarajevo, the
city centre, Butmir and Dobrinja. The fighting subsided shortly
after daybreak in most places but sporadic sniper and machine-gun
fire was reported.
Source(s): United Press International;
Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Unidentified Catholic church and post office in the
Novo Sarajevo area; central Sarajevo; the Dobrinja District.
Source(s): United Press International; Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- A spokesman for the BiH military said that
a Catholic church and a post office were damaged by shell fire in
the Novo Sarajevo area.
Source(s): United Press International;
Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- After daybreak sporadic sniper and machine-gun
fire could be still be heard in the city.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Casualties :
- It was reported that of those killed over the
weekend, eight died while lining up for humanitarian aid. *623 At
least four people were killed and 18 wounded overnight. BiH
officials said that 23 people had been killed in the past 24
hours in Sarajevo. *624 The BiH Public Health Ministry reported
that 1,511 people had been killed and 8,622 had been wounded in
Sarajevo to date. *625
Source(s): Reuters; United Press
International; Reuters; BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
At least four people were killed and 18 wounded in overnight
clashes in the city. Serbian gunners positioned in the hills
fired tank, mortar and anti-aircraft fire overnight, leaving dead
and wounded and rendering considerable damage to structures in
the city. A spokesman for the BiH military stated that a Catholic
church and a post office were damaged by the shellfire in the
Novo Sarajevo neighbourhood. Sporadic infantry battles were
reported near the Butmir airport. *626
Artillery shells and mortars reportedly hit buildings in
central Sarajevo and the Muslim Dobrinja district. *627 There
were no immediate casualty figures. Fighting subsided shortly
after daybreak in most places but sporadic sniper and machine-gun
fire could still be heard in Sarajevo. *628
(b) Local reported events
27. 27/7/92 (Monday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The U.N described a «generally
quiet night» with «some moderate action in the old part of the
city north to the Olympic Stadium».
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Dobrinja area.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Several mortar shells crashed into the
Dobrinja district.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
Residents of Sarajevo reported sporadic overnight exchanges
of machine-gun fire in the centre of the city. Several mortar
shells crashed into the district of Dobrinja. *631
UN spokesman Mik Magnusson described «a generally quiet
night». «There was some moderate action in the old part of the
city north to the Olympic Stadium», Magnuson said. *632
(b) Local reported events
The Commander of UNPROFOR, Indian Army General Satish
Nambiar, was in Sarajevo for talks with government officials on
the status of the UN-supervised airlift of humanitarian aid. *633
A 282-member unit of a French army battalion assigned to
protect the airport arrived at about 1:30 a.m.. A total of 406
French soldiers had arrived in Sarajevo by Monday, along with 18
Egyptians and 38 Ukrainians. They were part of a contingent of
1,500 troops that were replacing a 1,100 soldier Canadian army
detachment that was temporarily transferred to Sarajevo for the
airlift protection operation from peace-keeping duties in
Croatia. The new contingent at the airport was scheduled to
consist of 400 soldiers from Egypt, 400 from the Ukraine and 700
from France. The Canadians were to begin returning to Croatia on
Tuesday. *634
Nineteen cargo aeroplanes carrying 229.7 tons of food and
medicine arrived in Sarajevo. *635
(c) International reported events
28. 28/7/92 (Tuesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- An estimated 30 shells hit the city
centre early in the day and an estimated 50 shells hit the
Dobrinja area.
Source(s): New York Times.
- Targets Hit :
- Areas in Hrasno; an estimated 50 shells hit Dobrinja
which was shelled twice during the night; the Holiday Inn; an
estimated 30 shells hit the city centre early in the day.
Source(s): Reuters; United Press International; New York Times.
- Description of Damage :
- Three shells hit the upper floors of
Holiday Inn.
Source(s): Reuters; United Press International; New
York Times.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- At least one person was killed and 23 others were
wounded in fighting around the city since midnight Monday,
according to police and news reports. *637 Later local media
reports said that five people had been killed during attacks with
another 40 wounded. *638
Source(s): United Press International;
Agence France Presse.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Artillery and small-arms fire were exchanged overnight in
the district of Hrasno and again on Tuesday morning, according to
Sarajevo radio editor Zoran Pirolic. Dobrinja was also shelled
twice during the night. «It was not such a bad night, nothing to
be alarmed about, and certainly not as bad as we are used to»,
Pirolic said. *639
Residents reported that an estimated 30 shells rocked
Sarajevo's city centre early in the day, several hours after a
two hour battle on the north side of the downtown area. An
estimated 50 shells also fell on the Dobrinja suburb, near the
airport. The police reported that about 20 people were wounded
and some were killed, but no exact figures were provided. *640
Three mortar shells were reported to have hit the upper
floors of the Holiday Inn. *641
(b) Local reported events
A UN truck convoy, designed to test the efficacy of land
based operations, left the Croatian port of Split en-route to
Sarajevo and was expected to reach Serb militia lines surrounding
the city sometime Wednesday. The 21 truck convoy carried food
and emergency medical supplies. It was accompanied by 370
Ukrainian UN peace-keeping troops. It stopped for the night
about 50 miles from Sarajevo, near the town of Novi Travnik. *642
(c) International reported events
The leaders of BiH's three warring factions met in London
for EC-mediated talks (the 10th round), but the BiH Foreign
Minister Silajdzic rejected the EC proposal for cantonization.
*643
BiH Foreign Minister Haris Silajdzic refused to negotiate a
new constitution for BiH while the Republic's streets were
«strewn with bodies». And he called for a Nuremberg-style trial
for war crimes for Serb leaders who he said were responsible for
atrocities in the war in the former Yugoslav republic. Speaking
as the EC-brokered talks entered a second day in London,
Silajdzic told a news conference that: «[w]e have refused to be
shelled and starved into any kind of political agreement». Serb
delegate member Nikola Koljevic said after Serb leader Radovan
Karadzic met the EC negotiator late Monday: «I am optimistic
because it's a fresh approach and an approach which implies that
we are going to meet the other parties, not just bilaterally, but
face-to-face».
BiH President Izetbegovic plead with UN officials to exclude
BiH from the arms embargo to enable his country to defend itself.
*644
29. 29/7/92 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Serb gunners reportedly shelled the
Old Town and Dobrinja during the night. The bombardment commenced
after midnight and followed constant mortar attacks on Tuesday.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Old Town area; Dobrinja area.
Source(s): United
Press International.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- City residents faced sporadic sniper fire
beginning at
dawn. *645 The BiH news agency warned the city's residents that
Serbian snipers had fitted silencers to their guns and it urged
anyone who ventured outdoors to be extremely cautious. *646
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Reuters.
- Casualties :
- At least five people were reported killed and 84
wounded during the artillery battles. *647 One Canadian UNPROFOR
soldier was lightly wounded at the airport.
Source(s): Agence
France Presse; United Press International.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Serb gunners reportedly shelled the Old Town and the Suburb
of Dobrinja during the night, a radio journalist said. The
bombardment commenced after midnight. It followed constant mortar
attacks on Tuesday. There were no immediate reports of
casualties. *648 Serbian and BiH forces reportedly engaged in
infantry clashes overnight and into the day, firing occasional
mortar and artillery rounds into the city, police said. *649 A
UN spokesman said that the fighting was not as heavy as it was on
Tuesday. A Canadian soldier was lightly grazed by a bullet at
the airport. *650
(b) Local reported events
The largest convoy of humanitarian aid organized for the
city's residents arrived in Sarajevo as intermittent fighting and
shelling
flared. *651 An UNPROFOR detachment of Canadian troops, with
seven armoured personnel carriers, was dispatched from Sarajevo
to escort the convoy through Serbian-held territory back into the
city from the Croat-controlled town of Kiseljak about 12 miles
away. UN officials said that the convoy marked the beginning of
efforts to establish a permanent corridor into the city and phase
out the more expensive international humanitarian airlift that
commenced a month before after Serbian forces relinquished
control of Sarajevo airport to UN troops. *652
An Italian aircraft evacuated to Vienna a 13 year-old, Enis
Hasecic, suffering serious facial and chest injures following a
mortar attack on 13 July. *653
(c) International reported events
In London, the Yugoslav Prime Minister, Milan Panic,
confirmed reports of Serbian concentration camps. Panic also met
for about 45 minutes with British Prime Minister John Major.
Panic said afterwards that they had produced new proposals for
inclusion in a new federal constitution for
BiH. *654
UNHCR held an emergency conference to discuss the plight of
refugees in the former Yugoslavia. There were reportedly 598,000
refugees in Croatia; 70,000 in Slovenia; 1.3 million in BiH;
382,500 in Serbia; 48,500 in Montenegro; and 69,000 in the UNPAs.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogato warned that,
without a prompt response«,we may find ourselves stranded with an
open-ended relief program and a massive permanent refugee problem
in the heart of Europe». *655
30. 30/7/92 (Thursday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The airport was hit three times
during shelling that lasted into the morning. A camp occupied by
a battalion of Canadian troops was also hit. At least 115 mortar
rounds hit the Serb-held suburb of Nedzarici. Stup was also
heavily bombarded.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Sarajevo airport; camp occupied by Canadian UNPROFOR
troops; the suburb of Nedzarici; the suburb of Stup; the Old
Town; Dobrinja.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Sarajevo radio warned residents to be aware of
snipers firing from high-rise buildings.
Source(s): United Press
International.
- Casualties :
- At least one person was killed and six other people
injured in fighting in and around the city according to a police
spokesman. *656
Source(s): United Press International.
- Narrative of Events :
-
In the early hours of the morning, Sarajevo was hit by some
of the heaviest shelling in weeks. The bombardment followed the
failure of the European Community to launch constitutional peace
talks in London. The shelling's intensity caused many residents
to seek shelter in basement bunkers. *657 Serbian gunners
entrenched in the hilltops shelled the city with tank, mortars
and anti-aircraft machine-guns. The SDP (Serbian Democratic
Party) military command, in a statement released over the Serbia-
based Tanjug news agency, accused defence forces of launching an
«all-out attack» with heavy artillery and infantry on Serbian
positions in Sarajevo. The Serbs repulsed the assault, the
statement said. The fighting eased after dawn. But Sarajevo
radio said that intermittent shelling and sporadic fighting
continued both in the downtown area and on the outskirts of town.
The radio warned residents to be aware of snipers firing from
high-rise
buildings. *658
UN spokesmen said that the airport was hit three times
during shelling lasting into the morning. A camp occupied by a
battalion of Canadian troops was also hit. At least 115 mortar
rounds hit the Serb-held suburb of Nedzarici. Stup, which had a
mixed population of Serbs and Croats was also heavily bombarded:
(Stup had been used by Serbs and Croats as an escape route from
the city). Artillery fire from Serb gun batteries positioned in
the hills surrounding the city hit the Old Town and the Muslim
district of
Dobrinja. *659
(b) Local reported events
It was reported that the new UN Ukrainian peacekeepers had
established a position atop Hill 689. From this location they
hoped to utilize new horizon-scanning equipment and techniques
expected to pinpoint the source of mortar and artillery fire
coming from the hillsides surrounding Sarajevo. *660
UN sources said that hostile fire from BiH and Serbian
positions had forced a United Nations radar battery in the city
to abandon its monitoring mission four times in less than two
weeks. *661 The Soviet-made radar unit was intended to identify
artillery and mortars fired in violation of the UN-monitored
Sarajevo cease-fire. The unit was dug in on a hilltop between
BiH and Serbian lines north-west of the city. *662
(c) International reported events
The United Nations was reportedly working on a plan to
evacuate approximately 220 foreign nationals trapped in the city.
These individuals included 20 Westerners, and a large contingent
of medical students from the Middle East. «Strictly speaking, the
evacuation might be outside our mandate», said an unnamed UN
official. «But we have told the (Bosnian) Presidency and foreign
embassies we would find it difficult to turn down a coordinated
request», he said. The BiH government had used Sarajevo radio,
television and local newspapers to advise foreign nationals to
register for evacuation. *663
31. 31/7/92 (Friday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Sarajevo suffered its heaviest day
of daylight mortar bombardments in several weeks.
Source(s):
Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- The Presidency building; Parliament; unidentified
shopping areas; the airport; a water line at an unidentified
refugee centre; a Sarajevo University campus residence for
foreign students.
Source(s): Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- A mortar which exploded outside the
Presidency building killed two people; one person was killed
while waiting in line for water at a refugee centre; several
people reportedly were killed in blasts in the shopping district;
among the wounded were two foreign medical students whose campus
housing at Sarajevo University was hit by a shell.
Source(s):
Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- A mortar which exploded outside the Presidency killed
two people; one person was killed while waiting in line for water
at a refugee centre; several people reportedly were killed in
blasts in the shopping district; among the wounded were two
foreign medical students whose campus housing at Sarajevo
University was hit by a shell; five Ukrainian UNPROFOR soldiers
were wounded by Serbian gunfire directed towards BiH rifle
positions set up 30 yards away. After two days of fighting, it
was reported that at least 24 BiH soldiers had been killed and
more than 100 had been wounded. The Sarajevo crisis centre stated
that 11 people were killed in shelling during the 24 hours since
noon Thursday. BiH medical sources said that at least eight
people had been killed and 71 wounded over the past 24 hours.
*664 According to a report the following day, the day's shelling
left up to 15 dead and 50 injured. *665
Source(s): Reuters; New
York Times; Agence France Presse.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Sarajevo suffered its heaviest day of daylight mortar
bombardments for several weeks as a chain of explosions shook the
Presidency building, parliament and shopping streets. The
fighting also forced UN peacekeepers to close the Sarajevo
airport for several hours. *666 The airport was closed at 9:20
a.m. Friday, after a shell exploded there, and reopened at 12:45.
Twenty aircraft carrying humanitarian aid landed soon afterwards.
*667
A mortar which exploded without warning outside the
Presidential offices killed two people. Another person was
killed while waiting in line for water at a refugee centre.
Several others were reported to have died in blasts in the
shopping district where crowds were out in the sunshine after a
second successive night of heavy shelling. *668
Among the wounded were two medical students from Sarajevo
University who were killed when a shell hit a campus residence
for foreign students. *669
It was reported that the recent shelling was due to a two
pronged BiH government attack on Serbian lines which was made in
hope of extending its control to the northern hills centring on
the settlement of Hononj. Such a breakout would have put BiH
forces in a position to drive further north towards Vogosca,
where they hoped to join up with Croatian forces. *670
Despite early signs of success, after two days of fighting,
it appeared that the attack had failed. One senior officer
stated that at least 24 BiH soldiers had been killed and more
than 100 wounded. *671
It was also reported by UN officials that five of its
Ukrainian peace-keeping soldiers were wounded when they were
attacked by a Serbian forces. The Serbian forces were reported
to have been returning the fire of a BiH rifle platoon that had
set up a firing position 30 yards from the UN radar position on a
hill north of the city. This was the highest casualty toll for
the United Nations forces to date. *672
The UN force later protested to the BiH leadership because
two recoilless rifles were firing 15 metres from the Ukrainian
position attracting Serb attacks. UNPROFOR's spokesman Mik
Magnusson said that «it is cowardly and it is against the rules»
to set up heavy weapons within 500 metres of UN positions.
Mortars were also pointed 200 metres from a UN observation post,
he said. The BiH Defence Minister rejected these accusations,
saying that the UN was taking the side of the Serbs. UNPROFOR
also protested to the Serbians, saying that they returned fire
knowing full well that they might hit UN positions, according to
the UN spokesman. *673
E. August 1992
1. 1/8/92 (Saturday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- After a relatively quiet day,
intensive shelling began again at dusk.
Source(s): New York
Times; Washington Post.
- Targets Hit :
- Bus carrying 50 children out of the city.
Source(s):
New York Times; Washington Post.
- Description of Damage :
- A bus carrying 50 children out of the city
was attacked by alleged Serbian machine-guns, within 500 yards of
the UN headquarters in western Sarajevo, killing two children.
Source(s): New York Times; Washington Post.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- More recent reports from Kosevo Hospital indicated
that at least 40 people were killed in Friday's shelling (the
highest single day total to date). *674 A group of military
officials who arrived at the Sarajevo morgue in the afternoon
indicated that 100-150 BiH fighters had been killed in the recent
offensive, and that many bodies were still lying in the hills.
*675 Two children (Vedrana Glavas and Roki Sulejmanovic) were
killed in the machine-gun attack on a bus carrying them out of
the city.
Source(s): New York Times; Washington Post.
- Narrative of Events :
-
After the military offensive by the BiH Government failed to
break the Serbian siege of Sarajevo, its troops fell back towards
the city. The BiH troops were reported to have made only modest
gains at a devastating cost to themselves. More recent reports
from Kosevo hospital indicated that at least 40 people were
killed as the result of random Serbian shelling on Friday. This
was reported to be the highest single day total to date. *676
After a relatively quiet day, intensive shelling began again
at dusk. According to Sarajevo television a bus carrying 50
children out of the city was attacked by Serbian machine-guns,
reportedly within 500 yards of the UN headquarters in western
Sarajevo. Two children, Vedrana Glavas and Roki Sulejmanovic,
were reported killed. *677
(b) Local reported events
General Lewis MacKenzie, the commander of the UN Protection
Force in Sarajevo, ending his tour of duty, said as he departed
that the situation in the city was worse than when he had arrived
two months before. Colonel Armel Davout, was named as the interim
head of the forces until the naming of MacKenzie's replacement.
*678
2. 2/8/92 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Journalists reported steady
shelling for the fourth successive night. *679
Source(s):
Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- UNPROFOR Headquarters (the former main
telecommunications centre).
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Shrapnel pierced the headquarters of the
UNPROFOR forces (the former main telecommunications centre).
Source(s): Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Tanjug said that Muslim fighters had killed 150 Serb
soldiers and civilians during the last three days. BiH officials
said that 24 Muslim fighters had been killed Friday but the
hospitals said that the morgues were filled with corpses and that
the toll was much higher. *680 The BiH Public Health Ministry
reported that to date, 1569 people had been killed and 9,333 had
been wounded in Sarajevo. *681
Source(s): Reuters; BiH Ministry
of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Muslim and Serb forces traded conflicting claims of military
successes around the city Saturday. Each accused the other of
launching offensives and each claimed to have beaten back
attacks. The Serb military said it inflicted defeats on
attacking BiH units, the most severe in the area of Ilidza,
according to Tanjug. A Sarajevo newspaper and Tanjug quoted
Muslim commanders as saying that they had «liberated» the town of
Trnovo 18 miles south of Sarajevo and made advances against Serb
forces at other points around the city. Tanjug said Serb sources
denied Trnovo had been captured. In Sarajevo, Bosnian Muslims
said that the besieging Serbs had mounted a comprehensive attack
on the city, using artillery as a prelude to infantry advances,
but had been blocked and even beaten back at some points. Tanjug
said that Muslim fighters had killed 150 Serb soldiers and
civilians during the last three days. BiH officials said that 24
Muslim fighters had been killed Friday, but spokespersons for
local hospitals reported that the morgues were filled with
corpses and that the toll was much higher. *682
Shrapnel from a mortar explosion pierced the headquarters of
the UN peace-keeping forces in Sarajevo early in the day. The
mortar exploded in the air over the UN compound in the
headquarters of Sarajevo's former main telecommunications centre.
No casualties were reported. *683
(b) Local reported events
3. 3/8/92 (Monday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Gunfire subsided by daybreak in the
city.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
In the city, gunfire had subsided by daybreak, the Tanjug
news agency reported. The districts of Ilijas, Rajlovac and
Vogosca were worst hit, the agency added. According to Tanjug,
Serbian radio in BiH claimed the fighting was due to a Muslim
offensive in the city. *687
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
4. 4/8/92 (Tuesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The city centre was shelled with
multiple rockets shortly after 8:00 a.m. from Mount Trebevic to
the east.
Source(s): Reuters; New York Times; Agence France
Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- City centre; Sarajevo airport; the Lion Cemetery.
Source(s): Reuters; New York Times; Agence France Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- Relief operations were suspended for 72
hours after the shelling of Sarajevo airport; two mortar bombs
hit the Lion Cemetery within 100 yards of a funeral party
mourning the deaths of the two children killed on Sunday.
Shrapnel scattered throughout the cemetery, injuring Ruza Glavas,
the grandmother of one of the dead children.
Source(s): Reuters;
New York Times; Agence France Presse.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- BiH authorities said that 18 people had been killed
and 56 injured in fighting in Sarajevo in the previous 24 hours.
*692 Four persons were killed and at least 20 wounded in
overnight artillery exchanges. *693 Twenty-five persons were
reported killed during the daytime as the bombardments continued
unabated. *694
Source(s): Reuters; New York Times; Agence France
Presse.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Four persons were killed and at least 20 wounded in
overnight artillery exchanges. Shortly after 8:00 a.m., the city
centre was shelled with multiple rockets from Mount Trebevic to
the east. *695
Chief of Staff Sefer Halilovic was quoted as saying that
«conditions are right for a counter-offensive». According to the
communique from Halilovic read over the radio, Croatian-Muslim
forces in the morning repelled Serbian assaults in the suburbs of
Hrasnica, Sokolovic Kolonija, Dobrinja, Mojmilo and Alipasino
Polje.
Shelling halted humanitarian flights three times during the
day, and beginning at 6:00 p.m. local time, UN relief operations
were suspended for 72 hours. The attacks jeopardized the safety
of both UN personnel and aircraft, as well as the security of the
humanitarian supplies being flown into the city. During the 72
hour suspension, the deputy commanders of UNPROFOR in Yugoslavia,
Major General Phillipe Morillon of France, was scheduled to
travel to Sarajevo to assess the situation. «After 72 hours, and
in light of General Morillon's report, a decision will be taken
with regard to the future of the operation», the UN said. A
statement issued in New York in the name of UN Secretary-General
Boutros-Ghali condemned the shelling of Sarajevo airport, which
he said appeared to be deliberate. *696
Mortars were reported to have hit a Sarajevo cemetery during
funerals for the two children killed on Sunday. The grandmother
of one of the dead children, Ruza Glavas, was reported to have
been seriously injured. Journalists said that two mortar bombs
exploded within 100 yards of the graves in what appeared to be a
deliberate attack to coincide with the funerals. Mourners,
including staff and children from the orphanage of the dead
children, scrambled for shelter between grave stones and shrapnel
scattered around the Lion Cemetery. The first mortar bomb struck
100 yards away from the grave. Ruza Glavas was hit by a second
blast only a few minutes later as the group attempted to escape
the cemetery. A lump of shrapnel cut a fist-sized hole in the
upper part of her right arm. Journalists took her to the nearby
Kosevo Hospital where doctors said her arm might have to be
amputated. *697
Biljana Plavsic, a former Serbian member of the BiH
Presidency, denied that the cemetery was attacked by Serbs. «We
condemn any such attacks», she said. «Each of our soldiers on
the front lines is horrified and condemns such attacks». *698
(b) Local reported events
Sarajevo UNPROFOR Commander MacKenzie said that too much
attention was being paid to Sarajevo and not enough to the rest
of the country. He listed UNPROFOR goals in Sarajevo: cease-fire;
centralization of all weapons under UN observation; the creation
of secure corridors; and the opening of Sarajevo airport.
UNPROFOR had carried out the last step but not the first three.
He said that BiH President Izetbegovic would only speak with
Belgrade and JNA representatives, not with Bosnian Serbs. *699
Tanjug news agency quoted a Radio Sarajevo call for every
armed group or individual still not enrolled to report to the
armed forces command in order to «liberate definitively» the
city. *700
UN forces again accused BiH forces of setting up gun
batteries near UN positions, putting the lives of the UN forces
in danger. Bosnian Serbs accused the UN peacekeepers of
favouring the defence forces by failing to supervise Muslim and
Croat units' artillery while monitoring only Serbian gun
emplacements. *701
Most of Sarajevo was reportedly without water. BiH radio
and television reported that Serb forces had cut off the water
supply from a reservoir in the outlying district of Ilidza which
was under Serb control. *702
The 40 orphans evacuated from Sarajevo arrived at the Zerbst
airport near Magdeburg, Germany. The BiH and German governments
agreed that the orphans would return to Sarajevo when it was safe
and that they would not be adopted by German families. But an
official of the regional labour ministry of Sachsen-Anhalt who
organized the evacuation said that the orphans could «remain in
German orphanages for several years», if the war continued. The
two parliamentary deputies from Sachsen-Anhalt who organized the
evacuation were heavily criticised in Germany for failing to
properly plan the operation which was not protected by United
Nations peacekeepers. *703
A bus of Jews from Sarajevo left with 50 people aboard.
They had reportedly been guaranteed passage through Serb-held
territory. But in Stup, the last town before the Serbian lines,
an old woman and a young woman were forced off the bus because
they were Muslims. The woman was married to a Jew and the man
was related to a Jewish family. *704
(c) International reported events
5. 5/8/92 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Intense fighting continued from
dawn along a line which crossed Sarajevo from north to south.
The centre of the city had come under heavy mortar fire. *709
Journalists reported the heaviest bombardment in two weeks. *710
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Sarajevo airport; an apartment complex next to the
Holiday Inn; the lower slope and ridge of Trebevic mountain;
«Camp Beaver».
Source(s): Reuters; New York Times.
- Description of Damage :
- A mortar attack on an apartment complex
next to the Holiday Inn killed one man and wounded four others;
Egyptian UNPROFOR troops at «Camp Beaver» came under fire again
and a fire broke out at their camp.
Source(s): Reuters; New York
Times.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- UN officials also reported one of its soldiers killed
and six badly injured during the fighting of the prior few days;
*711 one man was killed and four others wounded after a mortar
attack on an apartment complex next to the Holiday Inn.
Source(s): Reuters; New York Times.
- Narrative of Events :
-
The Sarajevo airport remained closed because of continued
shelling from Serbian artillery and mortars, including a mortar
attack on an apartment complex next to the Holiday Inn in which
one man was killed and four others injured. It was also reported
that UN troops had been caught in cross-fire as one of the
fiercest battles in Sarajevo continued. *712
Journalists reported the heaviest bombardment in two weeks,
saying that multiple rocket launchers fired in the morning
continuously for about 20 minutes and mortar, rocket and
artillery fire persisted for an hour. The fighting began after a
lull of several hours due to a heavy thunderstorm. The worst
fighting was on Trebevic mountain, a forest-clad ridge high above
the city. Rockets could be heard streaming into the ridge, with
some mortar hits on the lower slope and an occasional burst of
artillery shells. Part of the forest was reported on fire. *713
Egyptian troops in the UN contingent at «Camp Beaver», who
spent most of Tuesday in their bunkers because of the firing
around the UN headquarters and airport, came under fire again. A
fire broke out in their camp, but it was put out before midnight
after UN officials negotiated a cease-fire. *714
(b) Local reported events
6. 6/8/92 (Thursday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Journalists reported a quiet night
after heavy shelling. Later shelling was reported near the
Presidency building and near UNPROFOR headquarters. Fighting was
reported between the forces near the airport.
Source(s): Agence
France Presse; Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Area outside the Presidency building; UNPROFOR
Headquarters; the Klas-Sarko and Velepekara buildings.
Source(s):
Agence France Presse; Reuters; Government of BiH.
- Description of Damage :
- Ten people were wounded when an artillery
shell landed outside the BiH Presidency building; UNPROFOR
Headquarters was hit by three 120 millimetre mortar shells in two
hours, with one shell landing in a vacant shower stall at the
ground level, another hitting the building's north facade
(destroying a room and damaging two rooms, and four armoured
personnel carriers). One French soldier and three others were
wounded.
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Reuters; Government of
BiH.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Ten people were wounded when an artillery shell
landed outside the BiH Presidency; One French soldier and three
others were wounded in the shelling of UNPROFOR Headquarters.
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Reuters.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Journalists reported a quiet night after several days of
heavy
fighting. *717
Three people were critically wounded early in the day when
an artillery shell landed outside the BiH President's office.
*718 The three were among 10 people wounded in the shelling.
*719
According to a UN spokesman, Sarajevo airport was caught in
a cross-fire, just hours after NATO members agreed to the
possible use of force to ensure that relief aid reached trapped
residents of Sarajevo. The fighting throughout the city was
reported to be the heaviest since the UN suspended relief flights
on Tuesday. *720 Sarajevo's airport and the UN headquarters came
under fire in an exchange between Muslim and Croat forces and
Serbs. *721
It was reported that UNPROFOR headquarters, not far from the
airport, was hit later by mortar and sniper fire. *722 One French
soldier was seriously wounded. «It was a deliberate attack», UN
spokesman Mik Magnusson said. The headquarters took three 120
millimetre mortar bomb hits in about two hours, he added. The
first shot hit at 10:20 p.m.. «One shot was a ranging round, the
other two direct hits on the building», he said. Apart from the
French soldier, three persons were slightly hurt, Magnusson said.
One shell landed in a vacant shower stall at the ground level of
the UN headquarters, UN spokesman Mik Magnusson said. Another
hit the north facade of the building, «devastating a room just
vacated by Ukrainian police who had gone to the quarter to have a
smoke». An adjacent room was badly damaged. A sleeping room for
UNPROFOR civilian police and four armoured personnel carriers
were also damaged. *723
Also shelled today were the Klas-Sarko and Velepekara
buildings (the city's only providers of essential foodstuffs such
as flour and bread), according to a report from the Government of
BiH. *724
(b) Local reported events
UN peacekeepers threatened to pull out of Sarajevo. «There
comes a time when we have to assess the situation. I guess that
time comes now», said UN spokesman Mik Magnusson. «We cannot go
on indefinitely. If the level of violence continues, it will
seriously endanger us doing our mission». *725
It was reported that French General, Philippe Morillon
arrived in Sarajevo to talk to Serbian and BiH government
officials about reestablishing a cease-fire to allow the relief
airlift to continue. *726
Water was gradually restored in some sectors of the city
after a day of almost total shortage. But, Sarajevo was
reportedly getting less than 50 per cent of the water it needed,
according to Salem Kerovic, the man in charge of the city's water
system. Serbian technicians in Ilidza told UN officials that
seven of the 16 pumps supplying 90 per cent of the city were not
working. The UN inspected one pump which was out of service and
found no evidence that it had been damaged by shelling. Sarajevo
authorities accused Serbian forces of seeking to deprive the city
of water. UN official, Major Brian Jackson noted that «it's in
everybody's interest to repair [the water system]. It's a common
resource». But using water as a weapon and then accusing the
other side of doing the same was not a new development, according
to Mik Magnusson, spokesman for UNPROFOR. *727
In Sarajevo, government officials permitted correspondents
into the former Viktor Bubanj detention centre, Sarajevo's main
prison, where Serbs had charged that 250 prisoners were being
tortured. Two detainees were questioned at random by Agence
France Presse and did not complain of any ill-
treatment. *728
Radio Sarajevo reported that the thermal power station in
Ugljevic had been turned into a concentration camp holding 7000
Bosnian Muslims, but an Agence France Presse correspondent found
no sign of such a camp. It was reported that: «empty and silent
in the blistering heat, with piles of scrap metal and wadding
typical of any factory floor, the plant and its spruce lawns
showed no evidence of the transit of crowds of prisoners». *729
(c) International reported events
British Prime Minister John Major reaffirmed his opposition
to any force to end the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, and
rejected opposition criticism that Britain was «sitting on its
hands». On Wednesday, Major's predecessor, Margaret Thatcher
called for weapons and military assistance to be sent to BiH to
prevent «an even greater catastrophe». Accusing the Serbs of
waging «a communist war of aggression», Thatcher said that events
in BiH were «reminiscent of the worst crimes of the Nazis».
Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd spoke out against the military
option, stating that «it is not clear to me that you can stop
snipers, or people firing mortars of the kind we have seen in
Sarajevo by air action». *730
United States President George Bush urged the UN Security
Council to authorize the use of all necessary measures to ensure
relief delivery; to establish diplomatic ties with Slovenia,
Croatia and BiH; to dispatch monitors to prevent spill-over into
neighbouring territory; and to increase its coordination with
NATO. He also demanded that humanitarian agencies be allowed
entry into camps but ruled out using force to free prisoners.
British and French officials called Bush's statement a hasty and
ill-prepared reaction to political concerns in the US. *731
The United States said that it would ask countries to
collect «war crimes» data and to seek to tighten sanctions
against Serbia, and called for an extraordinary session of the UN
Human Rights Commission. *732
The shelling of Sarajevo prompted the US Senate Foreign
Relations Committee to urge adoption of a UN resolution
authorizing the use of force, and it called on President Bush to
seek an emergency Security Council meeting to consider that
issue. *733 President Bush said that the United States would
establish full diplomatic relations with Slovenia, Croatia and
BiH. Bush also said that he had urged Secretary of State James
Baker to push for the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution
to allow the use of military force if needed to make sure that
humanitarian aid shipments got through to
Sarajevo. *734
The European Community issued a statement demanding
«immediate and unconditional access» to all camps and detention
centres in BiH. *735
7. 7/8/92 (Friday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- A mortar attack on a UN barracks
was reported in the early evening shortly before an intense
artillery bombardment of three Muslim-held suburbs.
Source(s):
Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Unidentified UNPROFOR barracks; three unidentifed
Muslim-held suburbs; the Marsal Tito barracks.
Source(s):
Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Seven Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in
an early evening mortar attack on their barracks; an intense
artillery bombardment of three Muslim-held suburbs reportedly
killed 10 people and wounded 30 others.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Seven Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in an early
evening mortar attack on their barracks; an intense artillery
bombardment of three Muslim-held suburbs reportedly killed 10
people and wounded 30 others.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Seven Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in a mortar bomb
attack on a barracks occupied by UN peace-keeping forces in
Sarajevo. The attack was mounted in the early evening shortly
before an intense artillery bombardment of three Muslim-held
suburbs in which 10 people were reportedly killed and 30 were
wounded. The Marsal Tito barracks in an exposed area of
Sarajevo, was hit 15 minutes after General Morillon said that
Muslim and Serb forces had agreed to the opening of Sarajevo
airport to humanitarian flights. *736
(b) Local reported events
General Philippe Morillon during a press conference, stated
that he would not identify who fired the three artillery rounds
which hit the UN headquarters on Thursday night. «I have the
agreement from both sides that those responsible for this attack
will be prosecuted in martial court», he said. Several officers
at the UN headquarters reportedly believed that the attack was by
BiH artillery from outside the range of the airport and for the
reestablishment of water supplies to Sarajevo. *737
UNHCR said that it was unlikely that the Sarajevo airport
would reopen Saturday for relief flights. All relief flights
were scheduled and coordinated from UNHCR's headquarters in
Geneva by a group of senior military officers from a number of
different countries, working in tandem with UN forces based at
Sarajevo airport. UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said, «the chances
of re-opening the airport Saturday looks pretty slim», But he
added, «crews are still on standby--we are pleading with all the
parties to put an end to this senseless violence so we can resume
flights». *738
General Phillipe Morillon said that Muslim and Serb forces
had agreed to allow the reopening of the city's airport to
humanitarian flights. The airport, closed earlier in the week
because of fighting, was due to reopen Saturday for 23 relief
flights. *739
(c) International reported events
8. 8/8/92 (Saturday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Fighting reportedly began to lessen
in the city.
Source(s): Washington Post.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
No reported incidents.
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
In Brussels, EC and NATO countries showed mounting
solidarity for a plan to provide armed cover for aid deliveries
to BiH. Diplomatic sources at NATO headquarters said that the
plan provided for armed support of aid to Sarajevo via an
overland «humanitarian corridor» and by taking control of the
airport. NATO countries were given until Monday to confirm the
agreement. If confirmed, NATO military officials would then
prepare the details. *742
9. 9/8/92 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The city was described as
«comparatively quiet», but there were reports that BiH forces
shelled the airport and that three Muslim-held suburbs were
lightly shelled.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- City airport; three unidentified Muslim suburbs.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- At least one person was killed and three others
wounded in the evening shelling of three unidentified Muslim
suburbs.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Journalists in Sarajevo said that the city was comparatively
quiet. But a Tanjug report claimed that Muslim fighters shelled
the city's airport. Fighting was also reported between Croatian
forces and Muslims at Kiseljak to the west of the city. *743
Three Muslim suburbs were lightly shelled in the evening in
attacks which left at least one dead and three wounded. *744
(b) Local reported events
10. 10/8/92 (Monday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Not specified
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported that, to
date, 1682 people had been killed in Sarajevo (12 per cent of
whom were children). *747
Source(s): BiH Ministry of Public
Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
No reported incidents.
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
11. 11/8/92 (Tuesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Continued fighting was reported in
the city.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Five residents were reported killed and 60 injured
in continued fighting. *750
Source(s): Reuters.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Five residents were reported killed and 60 injured in
continued fighting. *751
(b) Local reported events
While all sides waited for a UN vote on military
intervention to insure safe delivery of relief aid, Serb and BiH
officials signed a private agreement allowing 300 women and
children to evacuate Sarajevo. *752
Yugoslav Prime Minister Panic stated that Western military
intervention could lead to a disastrous guerilla war. Bosnian
Serb leader echoed this sentiment by warning that a «bloody big
mess» would arise. He called instead for the three parties to
«sit down and make peace» and said, «we now control 70 per cent
of the land, but we claim only 64 per cent as ours. *753
(c) International reported events
The United States Senate adopted a resolution, 74 to 22,
endorsing the use of force to ensure that aid was delivered to
the beleaguered people of BiH. In related testimony to the
Senate, General Barry McCaffrey, senior aid to General Colin L.
Powell, stated that a field army of 400,000 troops would be
needed to impose a cease-fire in the disputed territory. *754
12. 12/8/92 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Overnight shelling was reported in
the city. The Old Town was reported to have been heavily
bombarded before midnight.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- The city's main pedestrian precinct (Old Town); the
Klas-Sarko and Velepekara buildings.
Source(s): Government of
BiH.
- Description of Damage :
- Six people were wounded on the City's main
pedestrian precinct during heavy bombardment of the Old Town
before midnight. In the morning, the street was littered with
tree branches, power lines and masonry.
Source(s): Government of
BiH.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Two people killed and at least 15 wounded in
overnight shelling (including six wounded on the main pedestrian
precinct).
Source(s): Government of BiH.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Two people were reported killed and at least 15 wounded in
overnight shelling of the city, hours before the convoy of women
and children was due to depart. Journalists said that six people
were wounded on Sarajevo's main pedestrian precinct during heavy
bombardment of the old town before midnight. By morning the
street was reported littered with tree branches, power lines and
masonry brought down by the shelling.
The Klas-Sarko and Velepekara buildings (the city's only
providers of essential foodstuffs such as flour and bread) were
also shelled on this day, according to a report from the
Government of BiH. *755
(b) Local reported events
UN forces escorted more than 300 women and children out of
Sarajevo. Two UN personnel carriers one ahead and one behind,
escorted the group safely through Serbian checkpoints. A second
evacuation was expected during the next few days. *756 The
evacuation, which was one of the largest transfers out of
Sarajevo, was arranged by an agreement signed by a Serbian
liaison officer to the UN mission, a representative of the BiH
presidency and the Children's Embassy, a charity group. *757
13. 13/8/92 (Thursday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Not specified
- Targets Hit :
- Vase Miskina (the main shopping street in Old Town);
the Dobrinja District; Vogosca; Stup; Central Sarajevo.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Some houses were damaged in Stup but Radio
Sarajevo gave no further details.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Snipers opened fire on a UN convoy taking
Yugoslav Prime Minister Milan Panic into Sarajevo. The Prime
Minister was unhurt, but an ABC televison producer, David Kaplan,
was hit in the back and died at UN headquarters.
Source(s): New
York Times; Washington Post; Reuters.
- Casualties :
- ABC television producer David Kaplan, was killed by
sniper fire; press reports said that at least three people were
killed by shells in central Sarajevo. *758
Source(s): New York
Times, Washington Post, Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Overnight, several mortar shells fell on Vase Miskina, the
main shopping street in the old town, but no casualties were
reported. There was light shelling of the Dobrinja district,
some infantry activity in Hrasno, and the Muslim section Vogosca
was shelled by Serb forces from Polinja, Radio Sarajevo said.
The mainly Croat populated district of Stup was hit by anti-
aircraft guns and mortar bombs. Some houses were damaged, but
Radio Sarajevo gave no further details. *759
Snipers opened fire on a UN convoy taking Yugoslav Prime
Minister Milan Panic into Sarajevo. The Prime Minister was
unhurt, but an ABC television producer, David Kaplan (who was in
an accompanying vehicle), was hit in the back by shrapnel and
died at UN headquarters. It was reported that Kaplan had turned
down the offer of a flak jacket for the drive from the airport
along «sniper alley». He was believed to be the first American
killed in Sarajevo, but the 30th journalist killed during the
last year. Panic, clearly distressed, said: «Criminals killed
him . . . Terrorists killed him . . . These are crippled people
mentally». *760
(b) Local reported events
The convoy of some 300 women and children evacuated from
Sarajevo arrived in Split after a journey during which the buses
were shelled, the Croatian news agency Hina reported. An
official accompanying the convoy of four buses, Enver Serko, said
that it came under shelling after leaving the city on Wednesday.
The convoy had a UN escort after an earlier attempt to evacuate a
busload of children last month resulted in two children being
killed by sniper fire. According to UN peace-keeping forces in
Sarajevo, about 180 of the women and children were heading for
Austria, and 80 others were going to Delnice, on the Slovenian
coast. The remainder reportedly stayed in Split. *761
(c) International reported events
The UN Security Council voted to allow the use of military
force if necessary to insure that relief supplies reached
civilians in Sarajevo and other parts of BiH. *762 Security
Council Resolution 770 allowed for «all necessary measures» to be
taken to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid. The resolution
also required that international humanitarian organizations gain
unlimited access to camps and detention centres in BiH. BiH
Ambassador to the UN Muhamed Sacirbey described the measure as
«the minimum [required] to appease public opinion». *763
Resolution 771 was also passed, pertaining to war crimes.
The Security Council condemned «ethnic cleansing» and promised to
punish war
criminals. *764
Yugoslavia recognized independent Slovenia. *765
14. 14/8/92 (Friday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Fresh artillery and mortar attacks
hit the outskirts of the city overnight.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Outskirts of Sarajevo; Ilidza; Lukavica; Grbavica;
Vraca.
Source(s): Reuters (quoting Tanjug).
- Description of Damage :
- One Serbian soldier wounded in a mortar
attack in Ilidza.
Source(s): Reuters (quoting Tanjug).
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- One Serbian soldier was wounded in a mortar attack in
Ilidza.
Source(s): Reuters (quoting Tanjug).
- Narrative of Events :
-
Fresh artillery and mortar attacks hit the outskirts of
Sarajevo overnight. The Belgrade-based Tanjug news agency said
that one Serb fighter was wounded in a mortar attack in Ilidza.
It also reported artillery attacks against nearby Lukavica,
Grbavica and Vraca, quoting Serb sources who blamed Muslim forces
for the fighting. *766
(b) Local reported events
UNPROFOR rejected suggestions in the BiH media that it was
indirectly responsible for the death of US journalist David
Kaplan. Sarajevo radio and television said that BiH authorities
had not even been informed that this «illegal» visit was being
organized and that this «negligence» caused the death of the ABC
journalist. «Of course we know better. The Bosnian authorities
were informed of the visit», said UNPROFOR spokesman Adnan Abd-
Elrazek. *767
Officials of the Children's Embassy, a Sarajevo relief
agency, announced in the evening that they had secured agreement
between the warring ethnic groups to evacuate 800 mostly Serb
women and children from the city Tuesday. The director of the
agency, Dusko Tomic, stated that about 65 per cent of the next
batch of evacuees would be children and that 85 per cent per cent
of the total group would be Serbian. *768
(c) International reported events
15. 15/8/92 (Saturday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Not specified
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
No reported incidents.
(b) Local reported events
Radovan Karadzic told reporters that he could guarantee safe
passage for humanitarian aid convoys from Belgrade to Sarajevo,
but warned of possible attacks on other land routes. «We can
guarantee a permanent convoy from Belgrade to Sarajevo . . . .
This is all pro-Serbian territory, no checkpoints», Karadzic
said. He said that the risk of shelling meant that security
could be guaranteed for only the last 20 miles into Sarajevo on
the route from Croatia's Adriatic port of Split. Karadzic said
that it was risky to have sections of a supply route controlled
by different factions because one side could shell a convoy once
it had left its territory in order to discredit those in charge
of security in the area of the attack. Karadzic was speaking
after discussions with Portuguese ambassador Jose Cutileiro, the
European Community official in charge of peace talks between the
leaders of BiH's warring factions. Karadzic said the talks were
a failure because BiH President Alija Izetbegovic had boycotted
them. *771
A convoy of UN relief trucks left Sarajevo for Gorazde. The
convoy was accompanied by three Ukrainian-manned armoured
personnel carriers and carried 46 tons of supplies. After 10
hours it reached Gorazde. On its return trip the convoy was
forced to stop because of mined roads and
bridges. *772
16. 16/8/92 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Sarajevo was reported as relatively
quiet over the past two days.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Radio Sarajevo reported that one person was killed
and two were wounded in fighting. *773
Source(s): Agence France
Presse.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Fighting was reported in many parts of BiH but local
journalists reported that Sarajevo had been relatively quiet for
the past two days. *774
17. 17/8/92 (Monday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Fighting was reported after an
overnight attempt by Serbian infantry to push into the Vogosca
suburb. Serb artillery was reported to have hit the suburbs
overnight. Mortar fire hit the city throughout the afternoon in a
series of attacks.
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Reuters; New
York Times.
- Targets Hit :
- Suburbs of Mojmilo, Butmir, Sokolovic Kolonija and
Dobrinja (shelled overnight); series of afternoon mortar attacks
in the city; a single artillery shell hit a main street in the
city centre, followed by two other shells (both resulting in
injuries and deaths); the Hotel Europa.
Source(s): Agence France
Presse; New York Times; Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- A single artillery shell fired into a
main street in the city centre killed one person and wounded 22
others. Several minutes later, two other shells left six people
wounded. four mortar shells hit the six story Hotel Europa which
housed an estimated 800 refugees, setting it ablaze and killing
two to five people and injuring eight to 15 others. After three
hours the hotel was still ablaze. Another mortar bomb exploded
near the hotel one hour after the attack.
Source(s): Agence
France Presse; New York Times; Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- At least eight people were reportedly killed during
a series of afternoon mortar attacks in the city; a single
artillery shell fired into a main street in the city centre
killed one person and wounded 22 others. Several minutes later,
two other shells left six people wounded; two to five people were
killed and eight to 15 others wounded in the shelling of the
Europa Hotel. The BiH Public Health Ministry reported that seven
people had been killed and 44 wounded on this day. *775
Source(s): Reuters; Agence France Presse; BiH Ministry of Public
Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Radio Sarajevo said that fighting continued Monday after a
failed attempt overnight by Serbian infantry to push into the
Vogosca suburb, in which Serbs sustained «heavy losses». Serbian
artillery overnight also pounded the suburbs of Mojmilo, Butmir,
Sokolovic Kolonija and Dobrinja, the radio said. *776
Mortar fire hit the city throughout the afternoon in a
series of attacks in which at least eight people were reportedly
killed. *777
A single artillery shell fired into a main street in the
city centre killed one person and wounded 22 others, doctors and
witnesses said. Several minutes later, two other shells left six
people wounded. *778
In another incident not included in the above casualty
totals, four mortar shells crashed into the six-story Hotel
Europa, which housed an estimated 800 refugees, setting it ablaze
and killing at least two people and injuring 15 others. *779
Later reports detailed five people killed and eight others
injured, with four of the dead being refugees and one a policeman
taking part in the rescue operations. *780 Gunmen reportedly
prevented people from returning to the building to save their
belongings, according to witnesses. Police and firefighters said
that they had evacuated everyone from the lower floors but did
not know whether anyone might still be trapped on the upper
floors. After three hours, the hotel was still ablaze. Another
mortar bomb exploded near the hotel one hour after the attack,
injuring one policeman and two British journalists, witnesses
said. *781
The Belgrade-based news agency Tanjug said that Serb sources
carried out the attack on the Europa Hotel in retaliation for a
Muslim artillery assault on the Bosnian Serbs' headquarters in
Pale. Tanjug said that Muslims fired more than 100 shells on
Pale, hitting a hospital and a nursery school, but Bosnian Serb
deputy foreign minister Todor Dutina said the attack was not on
such a large scale. «There was an attack, yes, but as far as I
know it did not involve so many bombs», he said. Tanjug said
that the Serbs gave the Muslims a warning to stop, then opened
fire on the old town in Sarajevo when the warning went unheeded.
*782
Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic denied that his forces
were involved, stating: «I can categorically claim Bosnian Serbs
had nothing to do with the attack on the hotel». «We have
launched a swift investigation to determine who is behind this
false report». *783
(b) Local reported events
General Ratko Mladic threatened to shoot down UN relief-
supply aeroplanes, which he said had dropped arms to BiH forces.
Mladic's threat came amid reports of renewed heavy fighting
between Serbs and BiH forces in and around Sarajevo and other
parts of the country. Mladic said that on Sunday an unmarked
Hercules cargo aeroplane dropped off arms at the Sarajevo suburbs
of Igman and Bjelasnica, which were held by Croatian and Muslim
forces. The Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA said that Sunday's
alleged arms air-drop was the third that UN relief aeroplanes had
made. *784
Incoming aid flights were still averaging 20 a day, each
carrying 12 and a half tons of food and supplies. *785
(c) International reported events
A senior UN official, Jose-Maria Mendiluce, warned that
200,000 to 300,000 people could die in the winter if relief
agencies did not inoculate children and step up deliveries of
food and clothing. He also stated that the Sarajevo airlift was
meeting only a small fraction of total needs.
18. 18/8/92 (Tuesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Fierce fighting was reported in and
around the city and BiH forces were reported to have attacked
Serb positions around the airport during the evening.
Source(s):
Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- The Sarajevo airport runway.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Radio Sarajevo reported that in the past 48 hours,
about 20 people were reported killed and 100 wounded. *786 The
BiH Public Health Ministry reported that 12 people were killed
and 90 others were wounded on this
day. *787
Source(s): Agence France Presse; BiH Ministry of Public
Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
There were reports that Muslim forces attacked Serb
positions around the airport during the evening and that several
mortars fell on the runway. *788 Fighting in Sarajevo, and its
suburbs, and Gorazde left «many dead», Radio Sarajevo said.
(b) Local reported events
The UNHCR suspended all aid flights into Sarajevo after a
British relief aeroplane was threatened, but the airport remained
open for non-aid flights, including one scheduled to bring in
General Satish Nambiar, the head of the UN peace-keeping forces
in Yugoslavia. From the reports received, an unknown force
apparently twice «locked on» the aircraft with a type of radar
equipment designed to target objects for attack. The crew also
thought that they were fired upon by a 20 millimetre anti-
aircraft cannon. *789
Officials from the «Children's Embassy», a local charity,
said that 960 persons were on a convoy of buses and cars which
left the centre of the city just after 10:00 a.m.. United
Nations armoured personnel carriers escorted the convoy out of
the city. «Our lists show 22 per cent of the people are non-
Serbs, including both Muslims and Croats», said a spokesperson
from the group. She said that about 70 per cent of those leaving
were children. The Children's Embassy remained a controversial
group in Sarajevo, with the group's critics charging that
evacuating noncombatants, especially Serbs, only emboldened the
Serbian forces laying siege to the city. *790
(c) International reported events
19. 19/8/92 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Fighting continued near the airport
and heavy shelling was reported in the suburbs.
Source(s): Agence
France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Sarajevo airport (overnight); Serbian positions at
Nedzarici, Ilidza, Rajlovac and Lukavica (overnight); suburbs of
Stari Grad, Vratnik and Sokolovic Kolonija.
Source(s): Agence
France Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Officials and media reports stated that fighting
left more than 20 dead and 200 wounded. *792 BiH authorities
said that during the past 24 hours, 12 people had been killed and
90 wounded in Sarajevo. *793 The BiH Public Health Ministry
reported that 10 people had been killed and 67 injured in
Sarajevo. *794
Source(s): Agence France Presse; BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Sarajevo airport remained closed to aid flights for the
second day as continued fighting around BiH left more than 20
dead and some 200 wounded, according to officials and media
reports. The Bosnian-Serb news agency SRNA claimed that Muslim
troops fired on Sarajevo airport overnight. *795
Belgrade news agency Tanjug said that Serbian positions at
Nedzarici, Ilidza, Rajlovac and Lukavica around Sarajevo were
bombarded overnight leaving two dead and five wounded. *796
BiH authorities said that during the past 24 hours, 12
people had been killed and 90 wounded in Sarajevo. Radio
Sarajevo said that some of the casualties in the city came from
Serbian shelling of the suburbs of Stari Grad, Vratnik and
Sokolovic Kolonija. Fighting was also reported to have continued
in the suburbs of Hrasnica and Stup. *797
(b) Local reported events
BiH authorities signed an agreement on United Nations
control of heavy weaponry in Sarajevo. The agreement, ratified
Tuesday by Bosnian Serbs, allowed for the regrouping under UN
supervision of all tanks, artillery pieces and anti-aircraft
guns, according to Colonel Stjepan Siber, the BiH Army's Deputy
Chief of Staff. Siber said that he had demanded that the United
Nations begin its supervision on the Serbian side. A similar
agreement concluded in June was never implemented. *798
The commander of UNPROFOR in the former Yugoslavia, Indian
General Satish Nambiar, arrived in Sarajevo from Zagreb and held
talks with BiH President Alija Izetbegovic. Nambiar was also to
make a «routine inspection» of the airport and meet other local
political leaders. *799
20. 20/8/92 (Thursday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The day's shelling was described as
the heaviest in a month.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- The area between the Holiday Inn and the Marsal Tito
army barracks; the Kosevo Hospital; the Office of the BiH
government.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Grenades and mortar bombs struck between
the Holiday Inn and the Marsal Tito army barracks and about 24
rocket-propelled grenades exploded within an hour, some 100 yards
from the hotel. A nearby building was set ablaze by the shelling.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- A Ukrainian UNPROFOR soldier was killed by
sniper fire earlier in the day. The soldier was hit by a bullet
in the head and one in the heart as he was walking across the
courtyard of the Marsal Tito barracks in the city centre.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Casualties :
- One Ukrainian UNPROFOR soldier; a local crisis centre
said that in the 24 hours to noon, 11 people were killed and 55
wounded in Sarajevo. *800
Source(s): Agence France Presse;
Reuters.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Radio Sarajevo reported fighting between troops in the
Nedzarici suburb where BiH forces attempted to break the blockade
of the city. An air alert was declared in the morning in the
city after shelling Wednesday evening in the suburbs of Dobrinja,
Sokolovic Kolonija, Butmir and Stup. *801
Sarajevo suffered its heaviest bombardment in a month.
Grenades and mortar bombs struck between the Holiday Inn and the
Marsal Tito army barracks and about 24 rocket-propelled grenades
exploded within an hour, some 100 yards from the hotel. A nearby
building was set ablaze by shelling. *802
A Ukrainian UNPROFOR soldier was killed by a sniper earlier
in the day, the second Ukrainian to die in the city during the
conflict. *803 The soldier, wearing a bullet-proof jacket, was
hit by a bullet in the head and one in the heart as he was
walking across the courtyard of the Marsal Tito barracks in the
city centre. The soldier was the 12th UNPROFOR member to have
died in the former Yugoslavia. *804
Buildings hit by shelling, apparently from Serb gun
batteries in retaliation for Muslim sniping, included the Kosevo
Hospital and the office of the BiH government. The fighting
began at 8:00 p.m. Thursday. Street clashes between Muslim and
Serb fighters were reported in the suburbs of Hrasno and
Nedzarici.
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
Italy announced its readiness to supply between 1,000 to
1,500 troops to help with «border controls or the protection of
humanitarian aid convoys». Italian Minister of Defence, Salvo
Ando made the announcement in an interview published by the Milan
daily Corriere della Sera in which he called for better
coordination between countries offering troops. *806
German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel met with his French
counterpart, Roland Dumas, at Hechingen, south-west Germany, for
what officials described as a bid to fine-tune Franco-German
positions on Yugoslavia. *807
In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the Organization of the Islamic
Conference called for a special session of the UN General
Assembly to discuss ways of ending the bloodshed in BiH. OIC
Secretary-General Hamic Algabid said it was «imperative to take
urgently all necessary steps to end the Serbian aggression»
against BiH and «end the terrible sufferings being endured by its
peace loving people». *808
The Vatican and BiH decided to establish diplomatic
relations, the Vatican's press department announced. *809
21. 21/8/92 (Friday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Heavy shelling was reported in the
city and continued fighting was reported in Vogosca.
Source(s):
Agence France Presse; Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- An unidentified crowded market in the city; Kosevo
Hospital; downtown Sarajevo, including the BiH government
building and the central market; the vicinity of the Holiday Inn
Hotel; the Marsal Tito barracks.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- Two persons were killed and 13 others were
injured when several artillery shells fell on a crowded market in
central Sarajevo between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m.; mortar bombs hit
downtown Sarajevo killing four people in heavy bombardment; five
mortar bombs landed between the BiH government building which was
set ablaze in fighting on Thursday and the central market. Four
people were killed and 23 others wounded; the east end of the
large former Yugoslav army Marsal Tito barracks occupied by the
Ukrainian UNPROFOR contingent was again on fire (but it was
reported that this site sustained no artillery fire).
Source(s):
Agence France Presse.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Two persons were killed and 13 others were injured
when several artillery shells fell on a crowded market in central
Sarajevo between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m; mortar bombs hit downtown
Sarajevo killing four people in heavy bombardment; five mortar
bombs landed between the BiH government building which was set
ablaze in fighting on Thursday, and the central market; four
people were killed and 23 others wounded. According to the
medical crisis centre in Sarajevo, in the 24 hours from midday
Thursday, 10 people were killed and 80 were injured in the city.
*810
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Sarajevo radio quoted a local doctor and reported that two
persons were killed and 13 others were injured when several
artillery shells fell on a crowded market in central Sarajevo.
«Shells fell between 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. when the market was
packed with people», said Jadranka Brko, a wounded survivor whose
husband was killed by the bombardment. *811
Shells were also fired at the Kosevo Hospital. *812
Mortar bombs hit downtown Sarajevo killing four people in
heavy bombardment. Five mortar bombs landed between the BiH
government building which was set ablaze in fighting on Thursday,
and the central market. Four people were killed and 23 others
were wounded, 12 of them seriously, hospital sources reported.
Shells fell in the vicinity of the Holiday Inn Hotel in the
downtown area again in the evening, local journalists said. The
east end of the large former Yugoslav army Marsal Tito barracks,
occupied by the Ukrainian UNPROFOR contingent was again on fire.
Local reporters said that the barracks sustained no hostile
artillery fire and the cause of the blaze seemed
unclear. *813 UNPROFOR headquarters refused to speculate on the
cause of the blaze. *814
Radio Sarajevo said that Serbs besieging the city had been
«using all arms at their disposal» to shell the city, and that
fighting was continuing Friday in the Vogosca suburb. Television
in Belgrade said that BiH forces shelled Serb positions
surrounding Sarajevo in a vain attempt to break the siege. *815
(b) Local reported events
Sarajevo was reported to be in the grip of a power blackout
with bread shortages after fierce artillery bombardment and
street fighting, journalists said. *816
A senior UN military source in Sarajevo said that a BiH
gunman shot dead the Ukrainian UNPROFOR soldier on Thursday. *817
The trajectory of the fatal round was flat, indicating that it
could only have been fired from the foyer or from inside the
barracks where the soldier died, the UN officer said. *818 The
peace-keeping forces were suspected by both warring factions of
siding with the other, and at the slightest suspicion were made
to pay for their «unfaithfulness», an officer said. Others also
suspect BiH forces of trying to provoke a Western military
intervention by targeting the UN forces. *819
Outside the UN headquarters in Sarajevo, Serb forces
exchanged hostages with their Muslim-Croat adversaries. The two
sides swapped 51 Serbs, including three women, for 50 Muslims and
Croats, including six women. *820
(c) International reported events
As the Foreign Office in London announced that all of the
parties invited to the Wednesday talks, including Serbian
President Slobodan Milosevic, had accepted the invitation to
attend, the parliament of the rump Yugoslavia was divided on how
it should be represented. Some deputies urged staying away from
the peace conference «in order to avoid seeing Serbia
humiliated». On Thursday, the new federation's President Dobrica
Cosic said he would not attend the conference if he was not
invited as the head of Yugoslavia (Yugoslavia was not recognized
by the international community). Delegates to the London
Conference were to sit behind placards carrying individuals'
names rather than those of countries, a Foreign Office spokesman
said. The Prime Minister of Yugoslavia, Milan Panic, told the
Belgrade parliament that the London conference could «mark a
turning point» in the crisis. Panic proposed that Yugoslavia
recognize the international borders of Croatia and BiH. This
drew strong criticism from the second party in parliament, the
extreme-right Serb Radical Party who said that Panic's suggestion
was «an unpardonable political error». *821
Acting US Secretary of State Lawrence S. Eagleburger, stated
that the upcoming scheduled Yugoslav conference was likely to
make only limited gains. He also expressed grave concern that the
fighting might spread into new
areas. *822
22. 22/8/92 (Saturday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Intensive shelling was reported in
the city. The Old Town and Ilidza were hit by 83 mortar shells
overnight. Overnight shelling was reported in Dobrinja and mortar
fire hit Stup and Vogosca. Street fighting was also reported in
the Hrasno district. Mortar fire was reported near the airport at
midmorning. Shells also hit the UNPROFOR headquarters.
Source(s):
Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Ilidza (overnight); Dobrinja, Stup, Vogosca
(overnight); Sarajevo airport runway and vicinity (midmorning
shelling);Old Town; the Oslobodjenje building; the Kosevo
Hospital; UN Headquarters (afternoon).
Source(s): Reuters; Agence
France Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- According to Radio Belgrade, BiH forces
fired on the airport and the runway was hit by shell fire as an
aeroplane was taking off; shelling was heavy in the Old Town
centre and set ablaze the building of the BiH newspaper
Oslobodjenje; the Kosevo Hospital was hit several times but there
was no word on casualties; three shells hit the UNPROFOR
headquarters, causing little damage.
Source(s): Reuters; Agence
France Presse.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Serb sources reported that Ilidza was hit by 83
mortar shells overnight which killed one Serb fighter and wounded
one other; at least five people were reported wounded by
overnight shelling in Dobrinja; two British Royal Engineers were
wounded by shrapnel in the hills above the district of Ilidza and
two French soldiers were treated for minor wounds as a result of
mortar fire on the UN headquarters in the afternoon; at the
former military hospital, doctors reported a heavy flow of
casualties from Stupsko Brdo, where BiH forces had been attacking
Serb forces since Friday evening. *823 The main Sarajevo hospital
admitted 51 injured and a doctor reported that two civilians and
one soldier were dead on arrival. According to the medical
crisis centre for BiH, 19 people had been killed and 124 injured
in Sarajevo over the past 24 hours. *824
Source(s): Reuters;
Agence France Presse.
- Narrative of Events :
-
BiH government sources suggested that they might launch an
offensive in a bid to break out of Sarajevo with the help of
Croat forces. Serb sources played down the possibility but said
that they were attacked during the night at several points.
Ilidza was hit by 83 mortar shells which killed one Serb fighter
and wounded another, they said. The Serb officer in charge at
Ilidza said: «We could fight harder but our politicians tell us
only to defend ourselves». *825
Intensive shelling hit Sarajevo and forced many of its
residents into underground shelters throughout the night as Serbs
and Muslims waged street battles, local journalists said. *826
At least five people were wounded by overnight shelling in
Dobrinja and mortar bombs fell in the suburbs of Stup and
Vogosca. Street fighting flared in the Hrasno district. *827
UNPROFOR said that the airport was closed for a half hour in
the midmorning because of mortar fire in the vicinity. Artillery
could also be heard. *828 According to Radio Belgrade, BiH
forces fired on the airport and the runway was hit by shell fire
at the moment when an aeroplane was taking
off. *829
Doctors at the Kosevo Hospital, which suspended operations
and was running on its last drops of fuel for its power
generators, reported three dead and 40 wounded «in the past five
hours», mostly from the fighting in Ilidza. *830
Shelling was heavy in the Old Town centre and set ablaze the
building of the Bosnian newspaper Oslobodjenje. The Kosevo
Hospital, damaged in earlier bouts of fighting, was hit again
several times but there was no word on casualties. *831
Two British Royal Engineers were wounded by shrapnel in the
hills above the Serb district of Ilidza, and two French soldiers
were treated for minor wounds as a result of mortar fire on the
UN headquarters earlier in the afternoon, UN officials said. *832
Three shells hit the UNPROFOR headquarters, forcing
evacuation of personnel but causing little damage. *833
(b) Local reported events
In his first press conference, the new head of UNPROFOR,
General Hasen al Abdel Razik urged the warring factions to
respect the presence of UN peacekeepers, saying, «We don't have
anything to defend ourselves with. So please, don't make us a
target». The head of the Egyptian brigade, who took the UNPROFOR
command on Thursday, said that he was in contact with BiH
President Alija Izetbegovic and Serbian forces around Sarajevo
and that he had received assurances from both groups that the
mission of the UN peacekeepers would be respected. *834
The London Independent newspaper reported that UN officials
believed that Muslim fighters in BiH might have staged some
«Serb» attacks on Sarajevo in a ploy aimed at winning
international sympathy. The Independent said that secret reports
circulating at the United Nations suggested that the defenders of
Sarajevo might have carried out attacks designed to look like the
work of Bosnian Serbs. These included the bombing of a bread
line in May which killed at least sisteen people and explosions
at a cemetery 4 August where orphan victims of the war were being
buried. *835
(c) International reported events
23. 23/8/92 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- At least 50 shells hit the city
centre overnight. Mortars pounded Sarajevo for the fourth day of
fighting with both sides accusing the other of trying to seize
the initiative ahead of the coming peace talks in London.
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- City centre (overnight); BiH forces were reported to
have shelled all positions in southern Sarajevo lying between
Lukavica and Vogosca (areas reported to have been attacked in
artillery bombardments prior to a ground assault were Nedzarici,
Vakavic, Ilidza and Vogosca); the Sarajevo airport; unidentified
student dormitory on the edge of the city; 12 shells reportedly
exploded close to the Parliament building.
Source(s): Agence
France Presse; Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Overnight shelling led to several
outbreaks of fire and at least 50 shells were reported to have
hit the city centre; the UN closed the airport for much of the
day because of mortar and artillery crossfire which wounded one
British Royal Engineer; two foreign students died when a shell
smashed into their dormitory on the edge of the city.
Source(s):
Agence France Presse; Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Medical sources cited by Sarajevo radio said that 19
people were hospitalized overnight and that heavy shelling killed
five people and wounded nine others *838; one British Royal
Engineer was wounded by mortar fire on the airport road; two
foreign students died when a shell smashed into their dormitory
on the edge of the city. Sixteen bodies were taken to the main
Kosevo Hospital in the city between 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.,
Ratko Mirkovic from the morgue reported. During the past 36
hours, 38 people reportedly were killed. Ambulances continued to
bring more injured to Kosevo: 75 at last count. *839 In another
account, it was reported that mortars and artillery fire killed
more than 30 people in the city. *840 The BiH Public Health
Ministry reported that 22 people were killed and 100 were injured
in Sarajevo on this day. *841
Source(s): Agence France Presse;
Reuters; BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Explosions could be heard near Dobrinja, Sarajevo radio
said. The radio said that the overnight shelling led to several
outbreaks of fire, and that at least 50 shells hit the city
centre. Medical sources cited by the radio said that 19 people
were hospitalized overnight. *842
Heavy shelling overnight killed five people and wounded nine
others, Sarajevo radio reported, while BiH forces continued
attacking Serbian positions around the city. Tanjug said that BiH
forces shelled all Serb positions in southern Sarajevo lying
between Lukavica and Vogosca. BiH forces reportedly attacked the
Nedzarici, Vakavic, Ilidza and Rajlovac suburbs in what Tanjug's
sources said were «artillery bombardments prior to a ground
assault». The sources said a general offensive by BiH forces on
Serb positions in and around Sarajevo continued into its third
day. The sources accused BiH forces of having mortared the UN
headquarters on Saturday. *843
Mortars pounded Sarajevo for the fourth day of heavy
fighting, with both sides accusing the other of trying to seize
the initiative ahead of the coming peace talks in London. «The
Cetnik [Serb] military forces started a general offensive against
Bosnia-Hercegovina around Sarajevo. This is most probably because
we are headed into the London conference», President Izetbegovic
told reporters. «We can say that this offensive has failed», he
added. The Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA made a similar
accusation against BiH forces and Croats defending the city. It
said that Serb positions in10 Sarajevo suburbs had been severely
bombed, and accused the Muslims of deploying an artillery battery
near UN headquarters to provoke a response to what looked like a
Serbian attack on the United Nations. SRNA later said that a
cease-fire had been declared in the afternoon. *844
The United Nations closed the airport for much of the day
because of mortar and artillery crossfire. *845
One British Royal Engineer serving the United Nations was
wounded by mortar fire on the airport road, the third member of
his regiment to be
hurt. *846
Two foreign students died when a shell smashed into their
dormitory on the edge of the city. Syrian student Mowaffak Soufi
said: «We got up to leave the room for a safer place but there
was an explosion before we could get out. A girl died here on
these stairs and one of my friends in the room had no arms or
legs. Even his head was missing». *847
A dozen bombs reportedly exploded close to the Presidential
building. *848
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
24. 24/8/92 (Monday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- BiH forces reportedly tried to
break through the Sarajevo siege (although the attack appeared to
be a failure) as Serbian artillery hit the city's main buildings.
Just two days before the start of the London peace talks,
fighting between BiH and Serb forces gained ferocity as the day
wore on, with warring factions apparently trying to consolidate
territory. *852
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- The city's main buildings; Sarajevo airport; the
Holiday Inn; an unidentified city factory; Kosevo Hospital; the
Oslobodjenje building; unidentified Serb-held positions.
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Early in the day Sarajevo airport was
closed after it was hit by mortar fire; mortars hit the city
around the Holiday Inn--two mortars hit the building directly,
sending glass into the lobby; smoke could be seen rising from the
direction of a city factory; a shell reportedly hit the Kosevo
hospital, killing one more and wounding four, Jovo Vranik, the
Hospital spokesman said; *853 five Bosnian journalists were
injured when the offices of the daily Oslobodjenje were hit by a
dozen shells; Tanjug news agency said that 1,700 artillery shells
had fallen on Serb-held positions in the 24 hours preceeding
noon, killing about 20 soldiers and civilians, including women
and children.
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Thirty-two people died and 131 were injured in the
fighting overnight, official forces said, taking the total to 81
dead since BiH forces began their offensive on Saturday *854; a
shell reportedly hit the Kosevo hospital, killing one more and
wounding four, Jovo Vranik, the Hospital spokesman said *855;
five Bosnian journalists were injured when the offices of the
daily Oslobodjenje were hit by a dozen shells; Tanjug news agency
said that in the 24 hours preceeding noon, about 20 soldiers and
civilians, including women and children, were killed in the
bombardment of Serb-held positions.
Source(s): Agence France
Presse; Reuters.
- Narrative of Events :
-
BiH forces reportedly tried to break through the Sarajevo
siege although the attack appeared to be a failure as Serbian
artillery hit the city's main buildings. The information service
of the Sarajevo security centre said that the past 24 hours had
been «the hardest since war broke out». The hundreds of fighters
sent to attack Ilidza, the Serb-held suburb, «cannot blink an
eye» under the intense artillery bombing, said a young man who
had just returned from the front. *856
Early in the day, UN peacekeepers closed Sarajevo airport
after it was hit by mortar fire. It later reopened and several
relief aeroplanes were able to land. *857
Fighting between BiH and Serb forces gained ferocity as the
day wore on, with warring factions apparently trying to
consolidate territory just two days before the start of the
London peace talks. *858
Mortars hit the city around the Holiday Inn. Two hit the
building directly, sending glass into its lobby. There were no
reports of casualties. Smoke could be seen rising from the
direction of a city factory. Electricity and water supplies were
also cut in the city. *859
Improvised ambulances could be seen rushing back and forth
from the Kosevo Hospital where, by the middle of the afternoon,
27 bodies lay. A shell reportedly hit the hospital, killing one
and wounding four, Jovo Vranik, the Hospital spokesman said. *860
The Paris based Reporters Sans Frontieres said that five
Bosnian journalists were injured when the offices of the daily
Oslobodjenje were hit by a dozen shells. «Five journalists
working for Oslobodjenje or one of the three private reviews
sharing the offices were wounded in this bombardment. Everything
indicates that the Bosnian daily was the direct target of this
bombardment», Reporters Sans Frontieres said. «From the beginning
of the conflict, this newspaper was one of the few media in
Bosnia-Hercegovina that attempted to distribute independent
information». The group said that Oslobodjenje had already been
shelled a number of times and one of its journalists had died and
several others were wounded. It was also said that the editorial
staff of Sarajevo radio and television, along with some of their
children, were living in their offices and had not been paid for
three months. «A total of 300 people have taken refuge in the
offices. The journalists and their families, including children,
lack food and medicines, and remain within reach of the guns», it
said. *861
Kika Curovic, a reporter for Radio France International's
Serbo-Croatian service was wounded and hospitalized. *862
Street gun battles were reported in the Ilidza district near
the airport. An armoured train in which BiH fighters tried to
enter the suburb on Saturday night was reportedly destroyed by
Serb forces. *863
The Belgrade based Tanjug news agency said that 1700
artillery shells had fallen on Serb-held positions in the 24
hours up to noon. About 20 soldiers and civilians, including
women and children, were killed in the bombardment, Tanjug said.
The report could not be independently verified. *864
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
25. 25/8/92 (Tuesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- During the night Serb and Muslim
forces reportedly fought in the Old Town and Kosevo district, but
there was no repeat of heavy bombardment. Mortar and artillery
fire hit the city in the evening as BiH and Serb fighters met
head-on near the city-centre.
Source(s): Reuters; Agence France
Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Sarajevo's National Library Building was hit by a
shell at 9:30 p.m.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- It was reported that 82 people in all were killed in
the recent offensive, according to BiH sources. *873 Sarajevo's
crisis centre said that 28 people were killed and 127 wounded in
the 24 hours up to midnight Tuesday. «It was a very heavy, very
hot night for casualties», said Dr. Faris Goran Kapetanovic.
Kosevo Hospital, with negligible water and power supplies,
treated the 80 wounded between 10:00 a.m. Tuesday and 8:00 a.m.
Wednesday (double the usual number of casualties). *874
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Reuters.
- Narrative of Events :
-
BiH forces reportedly abandoned their attack of the last few
days and Serb forces in Ilidza said that the Muslim forces had
been fooled by their own propaganda into believing their weekend
bid to lift the siege would be easy, after Sarajevo television
reported that «Ilidza was now Muslim». It was reported that
despite the battle, Ilidza's houses and shops, which remained
open, bore little trace of fighting. *875
Apart from some fighting in two districts, Sarajevo spent
what local reporters described as a relatively quiet night.
During the night Serb and Muslim forces reportedly fought in the
Old Town and Kosevo district, but there was no repeat of heavy
bombardment. The evening sky was lit up by flames from fires at
five different places in the western side of the capital, one of
them being the high-rise newspaper publishing house,
Oslobodjenje. *876
Early in the day, BBC TV correspondent Martin Bell was hit
in the groin by shrapnel during a mortar attack in Sarajevo. The
explosion occurred as he was filming a mortar attack. *877
A German transportation aeroplane was hit by gunfire leaving
Sarajevo for Zagreb, later landing safely. *878
Mortar and artillery fire hit the city in the evening as BiH
and Serb fighters met head-on near the city centre. Clashes were
reported particularly heavy near the central Jewish cemetery.
*879
Sarajevo's National Library Building, was hit by a shell at
9:30
p.m.. *880
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
On the eve of the London talks, the United Nations General
Assembly adopted a resolution calling on the Security Council to
take tougher action to end the war in BiH, including direct
military action. The vote, led by Islamic states, followed two
days of an outpouring of support for BiH during a debate that
featured more than 60 speakers. It was the first time the
General Assembly had dealt with the Yugoslav crisis. *882
26. 26/8/92 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Military sources said that Serb
artillery batteries and BiH mortars traded fire between 1:00 a.m.
and 5:30 a.m., with tanks, long-range artillery, rocket launchers
and anti-aircraft
batteries. *883 Mortar attacks and gunfire resumed at dawn.
Fighting appeared to ease as the day wore on, but the city
continued to be hit by isolated explosions and sniper fire. *884
«This was the worst shelling since the start of the war», said
Nedzad Imamovic, a resident of the Medresse district of
Sarajevo's old quarter. He said that 15 shells hit in one hour
within a radius of 100 metres of each other. An UNPROFOR officer
stationed in the city since early July said he had never seen
such «a massive night attack across the whole city». *885
Source(s): Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Pale and Rajlovac suburbs; University Library,
Vijecnica (Town Hall); the former military hospital.
Source(s):
Agence France Presse; Washington Post; Reuters; the Government of
BiH.
- Description of Damage :
- Sarajevo's National Library building was
still ablaze after Tuesday's shelling; the shelling of the
University Library reportedly touched off fires which destroyed
many of the 3,000,000 volumes contained within the building; a
nurse was killed and several other personnel were wounded after a
direct artillery hit on the former military hospital.
Source(s):
Agence France Presse; Washington Post; Reuters; the Government of
BiH.
- Sniping Activity :
- Isolated sniper fire was reported during the
day.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Casualties :
- A nurse was killed and several other personnel were
wounded after the former military hospital took a direct
artillery hit. The hospital had received at least four dead-on-
arrival victims from the night's fighting and Kosevo Hospital got
at least 15 more (that toll was described as only partial). *886
A later report stated that six people had been killed in Sarajevo
on this day. *887 The BiH Health Ministry reported that 14
persons were killed and 126 injured in Sarajevo in the preceding
24 hours. *888
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Reuters;
Washington Post.
- Narrative of Events :
-
The Serbian suburbs of Pale and Rajlovac were reportedly
shelled as Serb forces pushed back a BiH infantry attack in
Grbavica, Radio Belgrade
reported. *889
Sarajevo's National Library building, hit by a shell on
Tuesday evening, was still ablaze in the morning. Firefighters
hampered by failing water pressure were unable to save the four-
story Moorish style building constructed under the Austrians.
*890 Mortar shells were also reported to have hit the University
Library, Vijecnica (Town Hall). This shelling reportedly touched
off fires which destroyed many of the 3,000,000 volumes contained
within the building. *891
Fires reportedly raged out of control through the Old Town
Hall. Volunteers, in an effort to save ancient manuscripts and
books from the Hall, defied a 48 hour curfew imposed Tuesday
afternoon and formed a human chain to carry buckets of water into
the burning building. *892
Patients in the former military hospital were reportedly
rushed to safety to the basement after the building took a direct
artillery hit. A nurse was killed and several other personnel
were wounded in the explosion, said building guard Mehmet
Begovic. The hospital had earlier received at least four dead-on-
arrival victims from the night's fighting and Kosevo Hospital got
at least 15 more (that toll was described as only partial). *893
(b) International reported events
Delegates from some 40 countries and organizations gathered
in London for the peace conference led by the European Community
and the United Nations, including representatives from former
Yugoslavia's warring factions, the United States, Russia, China
and countries neighbouring Yugoslavia. Its intention was to mark
a point of departure after repeated failed attempts by the
European Community to mediate a solution to the conflict between
rival Serbian, Croatian and Muslim factions in the former
Yugoslavia. UN Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali and British Prime
Minister John Major, in his capacity as president of the European
Community, chaired Wednesday's conference, scheduled to run
through Friday. At the conference's end, former US Secretary of
State Cyrus Vance, together with Lord Carrington's successor from
the EC, would continue the debate at a UN-EC steering committee
in Geneva. *894
In London, acting US Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger
said the peace conference would order further punitive action
against Serbia because of the shelling of Sarajevo. «The people
on the ground, obviously in this case the Serbs, are intent on
establishing as good a position on the ground prior to the
meeting of the conference, and it's an outrage», Eagleburger told
reporters. *895
British Prime Minister John Major opened the conference with
a warning to all parties, particularly the Serbs, of what they
could expect unless they cooperated in efforts to end the
bloodshed. «Parties who stand in the way of agreement can expect
even tougher sanctions, even more rigorously policed», he said.
«No trade. No aid. No international recognition of role.
Economic, cultural, political and diplomatic isolation». *896
Serbian President Milosevic agreed in principle to the
precepts of the Conference but claimed to have little control
over Bosnian Serb nationalists. Bosnian Serb leader Karadzic for
his part denied that his forces had anything to do with the
assault on Sarajevo. *897
In Washington, US President George Bush added to the
pressure on Serbia by granting most favoured nation status to all
former Yugoslav republics except Serbia and Montenegro. *898
27. 27/8/92 (Thursday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Sporadic artillery and gunfire
continued to hit the city, although without the intensity of the
last week. *899
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Bus or bread line in the Cengic Vila district; the
area near the Marsal Tito Barracks; four mortar shells hit the
UNPROFOR compound (one hit the second floor and three landed
outside).
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Nine people were killed and 20 others
wounded in the shelling of a bus or bread line in the Cengic Vila
district; four people were wounded in a mortar attack near the
Marsal Tito Barracks.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Nine people were killed and 20 others wounded in the
shelling of a bus or bread line in the Cengic Vila district; four
people were wounded in a mortar attack near the Marsal Tito
Barracks. In the 24 hours to noon Thursday, not including the
mortar attack in Cengic Vila, 12 people were reported killed and
80 were wounded. *900
Source(s): Reuters.
- Narrative of Events :
-
A mortar attack killed nine people in a residential area of
the city as BiH and Serbian forces ignored pleas for peace at the
London conference. Conflicting accounts of the attack in the
Cengic Vila district said that the people had been lining up
either for a bus or for bread. A nearby hospital said that seven
people died instantly in the attack, and two more were dead on
arrival. More than 20 people were wounded in the attack. Four
people were also wounded in a mortar attack near the city's
Marsal Tito Barracks. *901
In another attack, four mortar shells struck the UNPROFOR
compound. One hit the second floor of the building, which used to
be the city's main post office, and three landed outside. There
were no reported casualties. *902
Sporadic artillery and gunfire continued to hit the city,
although without the intensity of the last week. *903
The Tanjug news agency in Belgrade attributed the day's
relative calm to the fact that the BiH forces holding the city
had given up a push to break the siege by Serbian gunners in the
surrounding hills. *904
(c) International reported events
UN officials at the London conference announced that an
agreement had been reached to beef up UN forces in BiH to protect
humanitarian missions to accompany international observers to the
Serbian and Montenegrin borders to monitor implementation of UN
sanctions imposed last May. But analysts said the results of the
London conference promised to be inconclusive in that the main
protagonists, BiH President Alija Izetbegovic and Bosnian Serb
leader Radovan Karadzic, went little beyond past, unfulfilled
promises of conciliation. «If the West pressed Mr. Izetbegovic to
sit at the negotiating table», the war in BiH «could end within
days», Karadzic said in an interview with the Greek weekly Ena.
Izetbegovic, in an interview with the Paris daily Le Figaro,
refused to engage in dialogue or agree to a cease-fire «as long
as the (Serbian) aggression continues». *905
28. 28/8/92 (Friday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Despite Thursday's agreement in
London, Serbian forces surrounding Sarajevo began some of the
most intense bombardment to date. Hundreds of rounds from tank
cannons and 155 millimetre howitzers were reportedly fired from
Serb held positions in the hills and mountains surrounding
Sarajevo. *906
Source(s): Washington Post.
- Targets Hit :
- A veterinary college; an ironworks; a museum; the
government's main office building; scores of apartment buildings;
the former military hospital.
Source(s): Washington Post; Agence
France Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- Damage was suffered by shelling to a
veterinary college, an ironworks, a museum, the government's main
office building and scores of apartment buildings.
Source(s):
Washington Post; Agence France Presse.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- It was reported that two dead from the day's
shelling were taken to the Kosevo Hospital and a victim died of
his wounds there, according to medical sources. Another 26 people
had reportedly been admitted to the Kosevo facility since early
Friday, a doctor at the hospital, Goran Kapetanovic
said. *907 At least five people, including two children, were
killed and 10 others were wounded in the district of Stari Grad
while shelling killed five and wounded 34 in the Dobrinja
district near the airport. *908 Within the last 24 hours 19
people had been reported killed and 145 wounded in Sarajevo. *909
At least three people were killed and 12 wounded in the city on
Friday according to authorities. *910
Source(s): Agence France
Presse; Washington Post.
- Narrative of Events :
-
The shelling damaged a veterinary college, an ironworks, a
museum, the government's main office building and scores of
apartment buildings. Fires burned across the city late into
Thursday night. At midday Friday even more fires were started by
the continued shelling. *911
Mortar shells also reportedly hit the former military
hospital. Reporters said that they could hear incoming shells
near the hospital, a sector held by Bosnian Muslim forces and the
riposte of the opposing side a few moments later. *912
Radio Sarajevo reported fierce artillery duels and infantry
clashes late Thursday and early Friday in the Vogosca suburb of
Sarajevo. *913
(b) International reported events
Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic welcomed the outcome of
the London Conference but said that Bosnian Muslims needed to
take the lead in observing any cease-fire. «We can't stop (the
fighting) because we are not the ones who initiate it», he said
in an interview with BBC radio. «If they stop, if they respect
the ceasefire, we'll respect it». *914
Yugoslav Prime Minister Milan Panic said in London that he
would demand the resignation of Serbian President Slobodan
Milosevic if he did not respect the peace conference agreement.
«Now I want to put him (Milosevic) on public notice», Panic said.
«What counts is not the word, but the deed. The peace proposal is
now the official peace plan for the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia. I expect Mr. Milosevic to comply--or else. If the
President of Serbia indeed fails to fulfil his pledge, then I
will feel that it is my duty to demand that he resign». *915
The US lifted its sanctions against Slovenia which had been
in effect since December 1991. *916
29. 29/8/92 (Saturday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- There was a let up in the fighting
of the past two days, but random mortar shells continued to hit
the city. *917
Source(s): Washington Post
- Targets Hit :
- Hrasno and nearby districts (overnight); the BiH
presidency building; an UNPROFOR armoured vehicle in Nedzarici.
Source(s): Reuters; Washington Post; Agence France Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- Three United Nations soldiers were wounded
and a Serbian officer killed by mortar fire which struck their
armoured vehicle.
Source(s): Reuters; Washington Post; Agence
France Presse.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Three United Nations soldiers were wounded and a
Serbian officer killed by mortar fire which struck their armoured
vehicle. The Health Ministry reported that in the city, 22 people
were killed and 162 injured during the last 24 hours. *918 In
another report, the medical crisis centre said that 20 people had
been killed and 153 injured in the past 24 hours in the city.
*919
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Radio Sarajevo said that BiH forces had succeeded in their
attempt to pierce the Serbian siege of the city. It said that
soldiers had broken through Serbian lines at Cekrcici, near
Ilijas, 25 kilometres north of the city. This report was not
confirmed by independent sources, however, and was denied by the
Serbs. The Belgrade-based news agency Tanjug said that intense
fighting continued in the area. BiH forces also reportedly tried
to break through the Serbian stronghold in the Ilidza suburb to
the west of Sarajevo, but Serbian forces «managed to hold their
positions», the Serbian agency SRNA
reported. *920
Sarajevo was reported early as generally quiet after a night
of heavy bombardment. Fighting reportedly raged before midnight,
as tank, mortar and heavy machine-gun fire poured into Hrasno and
nearby districts. Fighting was also reported in Dobrinja. *921
There was a let up in the fighting of the past two days, but
random mortar shells continued to hit the city, including one
that struck the BiH Presidency building. *922
It was reported that three United Nations soldiers were
wounded and a Serbian officer killed by mortar fire as fighting
continued in and around the city. The Serbian officer died and
three French UNPROFOR soldiers were wounded while on patrol with
an armoured car in the suburb of Nedzarici near the airport, the
officer in charge of the French detachment of UN forces in
Zagreb, Colonel Christian Xuereb, said. The Serb, a liaison
officer with the forces besieging Sarajevo, was killed instantly
by a rocket launched from behind BiH lines 100 metres away. The
incident may have been a result of bad communications between the
UN forces, the Serbs and BiH forces, informed sources said. UN
officials declined to comment on a suggestion that a UN officer
failed to tell the fighting forces that a UNPROFOR armoured
vehicle was arriving in the area. *923
(b) Local reported events
The BiH government's deputy commander, Colonel Jovan Divjak,
stated that BiH forces had decided to continue their costly
offensive to break through Serb lines encircling the city, even
though such an effort would be slow and cost many lives. He also
noted that while recent attempts to break out had failed, Muslim
forces from Zenica had advanced to within seven miles of
Sarajevo. He also complained about the lack of Croatian military
assistance in breaking the Sarajevo siege even though there were
reported to be thousands of Croatian Defence Force soldiers less
than 20 miles away.
Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic accused BiH forces of
trying to destroy the latest international initiative to restore
peace by attacking Serb positions around Sarajevo. «Muslim forces
in Sarajevo have launched a crazed onslaught, shelling Serb
positions, Sarajevo town itself and sniping against civilians»,
he said in a statement. He appealed to British Prime Minister
John Major, co-chairman of the London peace talks to urge BiH
President Alija Izetbegovic to restrain his forces. *924
It was reported that to date, the Sarajevo Fire Department
had seen four of its men killed and 28 wounded by snipers and
mortars since the war began. According to its commander, Kenan
Slinic: «Our casualties are 10 per cent higher than the army's».
According to Slinic, Sarajevo had 250 serious fires in the five
months of the city's siege, 160 of them «events we normally would
see only once in a decade». It was reported that the City of
Innsbruck had donated uniforms and hoses to Sarajevo, but that
the UN refused to allow them to be delivered, saying that they
did not qualify as humanitarian aid. The central fire station,
built in 1912, was also serving as a refugee centre. Firemen
whose own houses had been destroyed had brought their wives and
children to live with them in the brick building. *925
(c) International reported events
30. 30/8/92 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- After reported heavy fighting
overnight in Ilidza, street fighting was reported in at least
four suburbs as intense heavy machine-gun and small-arms fire
broke out at 5:30 a.m. north and west of the Holiday Inn.
Shelling was reported in the city. Fierce fighting was reported
to the north in Vogosca where BiH forces pressed an offensive.
Heavy fighting was also reported in Ilijas and Dobrinja. Shelling
continued in the city throughout the day which included a shell
hitting a crowded market causing many civilian casualties.
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Reuters; Washington Post.
- Targets Hit :
- Sarajevo Radio and Television building; the Holiday
Inn; the city centre; a crowded market in the suburb of Alipasino
Polje.
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Reuters; Washington Post.
- Description of Damage :
- A 120 millimetre tank shell crashed
through the window of a second story room of the downtown Holiday
Inn at about 6:00 a.m., but did not explode; at approximately
noon a howitzer shell hit in a crowded market in the suburb of
Alipasino Polje, killing 15 people and injuring at least 31
others.
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Reuters; Washington
Post.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- At approximately noon a howitzer shell hit in a
crowded market in the suburb of Alipasino Polje, killing 15
people and injuring at least 31 others. The BiH Public Health
Ministry reported that to date, 1,954 people had been killed,
11,649 had been severely wounded, 14,600 had been lightly wounded
and 6,600 people were missing in Sarajevo. *927
Source(s):
Washington Post; Agence France Presse; BiH Ministry of Public
Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
BiH and Serb forces fought gunbattles in the city during the
morning. Journalists with Sarajevo radio reported street fighting
in at least four suburbs and intense heavy machine-gun and small-
arms fire broke out at 5:30 a.m. north and west of the Holiday
Inn. The radio and television centre was among the buildings
hit. *928 A 120 millimetre tank shell crashed through the window
of a second story room of the downtown Holiday Inn at about 6:00
a.m. but did not explode. *929
Fierce fighting reportedly raged to the north of the city in
the Serbian controlled industrial suburb of Vogosca, where BiH
forces pressed an offensive to cut a land corridor out of the
city. Sustained automatic weapons fire, rockets and artillery
could be heard in downtown Sarajevo from the direction of
Vogosca. Heavy fighting was also reported in the Serbian-held
town of Ilijas, about 15 kilometres further north as BiH forces
tried to encircle the town. BiH sources said the capture of
Ilijas would figure heavily in the land corridor campaign which
radio Sarajevo termed «an unstoppable offensive». Fierce
exchanges were also reported in Dobrinja. *930
The clashes followed reports of heavy fighting Saturday
evening in the Serb-held suburb of Ilidza and mortar on the
centre of the city. Serbs accused BiH forces of launching an
offensive against Ilidza Saturday to try to link up with Muslim
districts. *931
Shelling continued in Sarajevo throughout the day. At
approximately noon, a howitzer shell landed in a crowded market,
killing 15 people and injuring at least 31 others. This was
reported to be the highest death toll for a single shell since 27
May when 20 persons were killed in a bread
line. *932
Sarajevo television said that the shell hit in the suburb of
Alipasino Polje west of the city shortly before noon. Television
crews at the scene quoted witnesses as saying that the shell
exploded in the heart of the suburban outdoor marketplace as
housewives with children and elderly shoppers tried to stock up
on fresh fruits and vegetables rarely available since the siege
began. *933
(b) Local reported events
It was reported that an unnamed Western source said that
aeroplanes flying in humanitarian aid to Sarajevo had dropped
weapons and other military equipment to BiH forces. The source
said that an Iranian aeroplane landed about 10 days prior to
today's date, at Sarajevo airport and was unloaded by BiH forces
who did not allow UNPROFOR at the airport to approach the
aircraft. *934
31. 31/8/92 (Monday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Sarajevo was unusually quiet early
in the day. «We can't remember a day like this. But it could
change at any time. Maybe the gunmen are taking a rest or maybe
it is just too hot», said Sena Softic, a doctor at a hospital
which treated three people for gunshot wounds on
Monday. *935
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Dobrinja; the Klas-Sarko and Velepekara buildings; a
cemetery near the northern perimeter of the city near a hospital
and the city morgue.
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Government
of BiH.
- Description of Damage :
- At least one person was killed and more
than 20 others wounded late in the day when an artillery shell
exploded in Dobrinja; four people, including one journalist were
wounded when an artillery shell hit a cemetery near the northern
perimeter of the city near a hospital and the city morgue.
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Government of BiH.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- At least one person was killed and more than 20
others wounded late in the day when an artillery shell exploded
in Dobrinja; four people, including one journalist were wounded
when an artillery shell hit a cemetery near the northern
perimeter of the city near a hospital and the city morgue.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Sarajevo was unusually quiet early in the day. «We can't
remember a day like this. But it could change at any time. Maybe
the gunmen are taking a rest or maybe it is just too hot», said
Sena Softic, a doctor at a hospital which treated three people
for gunshot wounds on Monday. *936
At least one person was killed and more than 20 others were
wounded late in the day when an artillery shell exploded in
Dobrinja, Sarajevo television said. *937
Also shelled were the Klas-Sarko and Velepekara buildings
(the city's only providers of essential foodstuffs such as flour
and bread), according to a report from the Government of BiH.
*938
Four people, including one journalist, were wounded, none
critically, when an artillery shell hit a cemetery during the
funeral of a BiH soldier. It was reported that funerals at the
cemetery, located near the northern perimeter of the city near a
hospital and the city morgue, had been a favourite target of Serb
gunners in the hills surrounding the city. *939
(b) Local reported events
In Belgrade, allies of Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic
introduced a parliamentary motion of no-confidence in Yugoslav
Prime Minister Milan Panic. The move by 68 legislators of the
Socialist and Radical Parties controlling the federal parliament
followed public rebukes to Milosevic from Panic at the peace
talks in London last week. *940
BiH President Alija Izetbegovic stated that the BiH
government would not attend continued peace talks in Geneva until
the shelling of Sarajevo had stopped. *941
It was reported that six of every 10 buildings in Sarajevo
had been damaged by shellfire and that the broken down water
system had continued to make residents sick. Izumi Nakamitsu, the
acting head of the Sarajevo office of UNHCR, stated that unless
there was a political settlement soon the coming winter would be
a disaster. *942 Local radio warned residents to start boiling
their drinking water, after a sharp rise in gastric ailments.
*943
(c) International reported events
Britain's Lord Owen, who had taken over as the chief
European Community negotiator on the crisis, held talks in
Portugal at the start of a round of the European capitals. Lord
Owen said in London that there could be no quick solutions to
BiH's war. «I don't think you can set yourself deadlines or talk
in terms of immediate cease-fires. I think it's going to have to
be a patient building process», he told reporters. *944 When
asked for his reaction to Sunday's mortar attack on the Sarajevo
market, Owen said, «There are going to be, hour by hour, day by
day, terrible atrocities in the former Yugoslav territory and as
far as possible I am not going to comment on individual ones. Our
job is to get this peace process underway». *945
Conferees in London last week approved a resolution
requiring that UN officials be notified within 96 hours of the
positions of all artillery and mortars as a first step towards
neutralizing the armed conflict. British Prime Minister John
Major hailed the resolution as one of the principal
accomplishments of the talks, but there was no apparent agreement
over when the four-day period would begin. British sources said
that it remained to be worked out and US officials expressed
concern that BiH would drop out of peace
talks if the operations did not begin soon, sources said. «We
have to be concerned about the 96-hour issue and the fact that
the Bosnians can walk out from the negotiations if we don't find
a solution», said a US source speaking on condition of anonymity.
*946
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