Annex VI - part 5/10
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
K. February 1993
1. 1/2/93 (Monday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Sarajevo was reported quieter with
sporadic artillery and sniper fire. UNPROFOR reported that during
the past week the level of shelling and military activity
throughout Sarajevo was quite low with less than 100 observed
incoming rounds on some days. There was a significant increase of
shelling on 27 January with about 1,500 observed incoming rounds,
some of them falling around the airport, where a UNHCR
representative was badly injured and required medical evacuation.
Most of the shelling was concentrated around the airport and
surrounding area and over the eastern part of the city. UNPROFOR
commented that this was apparently due to a Serb national holiday
celebrating an historical character responsible for the
unification of BiH. *1925
Source(s): Reuters; UNPROFOR.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Sporadic sniper fire was reported in the city.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported 10 killed
and 55 wounded on this day. *1926
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Sarajevo was quieter, with sporadic artillery and
sniper fire reported after a weekend of heavy shelling. *1927
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
With the reported collapse of the peace talks, EC
foreign ministers discussed tightening sanctions. However,
British Foreign Secretary Hurd said, «The Community is drawing up
a range of possible sanctions, but I don't think anybody is
talking about trying to apply them». Owen emphasized the need for
pressure, not action, stating that «nothing should be done at the
moment». *1930
After meeting with Vance and Owen at the UN, US
Secretary of State Christopher questioned the «feasibility» and
«practicality» of the Vance-Owen Plan. At a press conference he
said «we've been supportive of the process in the hope that both
the parties would come into agreement on the process. That's as
far as I'm prepared to go . . . .» *1931
2. 2/2/93 (Tuesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The city reportedly experienced a
generally quiet day.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- An 18 story residential tower in Grbavica; an
unidentified funeral procession attended by some 300 people.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- The top five floors of an 18 story
residential tower were reported ablaze in Grbavica; an
unidentified funeral procession attended by some 30 people was
shelled, killing one and wounding 20 others.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Firefighters were unable to reach an 18 story
residential tower ablaze in Grbavica because of sniper fire.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Casualties :
- An unidentified funeral procession attended by some
30 people was shelled, killing one and wounding 20 others. The
BiH Ministry of Public Health reported one killed and 28 wounded
on this day. *1932
Source(s): Reuters; BiH Ministry of Public
Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
The city enjoyed a generally quiet day after heavy
shelling over the weekend when it was hit by more than 500
shells. *1933
The top five floors of an 18 story residential tower
were reported ablaze in the city's Serb-held district of
Grbavica. Fire-fighters were unable to get to the building
quickly because of sniping. *1934
The worst attack came when Serb gunners shelled a
funeral procession attended by some 300 people. Local reporters
said that one person was killed and 20 were wounded, 13
seriously. *1935
(b) International reported events
3. 3/2/93 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Fighting in the day picked up after
a brief mid-day lull.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Bosnian Muslim authorities said that eight people
were killed (including Zeljo Ruzicic, a Croatian radio
correspondent), and 34 were wounded in Sarajevo in the last 24
hours. *1940
Source(s): Reuters.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Fighting in the city picked up after a brief mid-day
lull during which visiting Italian Foreign Minister Emilio
Colombo met with BiH President Alija Izetbegovic. *1941
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
Despite three days of pressure from Vance and Owen, the
United States still shied away from endorsing the Vance-Owen
Plan. White House Communications Director George Stephanopoulos
stated that: «the President continues to support a diplomatic
solution. He does not specifically embrace or reject the Vance
Plan». *1944
4. 4/2/93 (Thursday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Not specified
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- UNPROFOR reported that for the second night in
a row, a Serb sniper killed a Bosnian trying to slip across the
Sarajevo airport runway. It was also reported that a French
foreign legionnaire at the airport was wounded in the right hand
by a sniper's bullet. *1945
Source(s): UNPROFOR.
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported two killed
and 23 wounded on this day. *1946
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
UNPROFOR reported that for the second night in a row, a
Serb sniper killed a Bosnian trying to slip across the Sarajevo
airport runway. It was also reported that a French foreign
legionnaire at the airport was wounded in the right hand by a
sniper's bullet. *1947 The BiH Public Health Ministry reported
two killed and 23 wounded on this day. *1948
(b) Local reported events
UNPROFOR reported that the number of people caught
while trying to cross the airport, by troops using night-vision
binoculars and armoured personnel carriers equipped with search
lights, rose over the past few months. The number of attempted
crossing were: 3,843 in November, 6,717 in December, 10,989 in
January and 1,500 in the first three days of February. *1949
BiH President Izetbegovic called for air-strikes, a
«more speedy way» to end the conflict than the peace process in
New York. «Regardless of what the Security Council does», he
said, «we will not accept the plan» because «it implies that
genocide can be carried out and awarded». *1950
Responding to the US decision to restrict Radovan
Karadzic's movements in New York, Bosnian Serbs reportedly denied
US journalists access to Serb-controlled territory in BiH. *1951
(c) International reported events
Lord Owen stated that he believed that the Vance-Owen
plan was the only option for the West. «I know the world, the
Western world, the United States, Europe--for right or wrong--are
not going to intervene», he said, «They're not going to do it and
therefore we've got to get a settlement». *1952
In contrast, Bosnian Serb leader Karadzic encouraged
the US to endorse the plan, stating, «this plan is not perfect,
but we don't have anything better». Sending ground troops, he
said, would bring «another Vietnam». *1953
5. 5/2/93 (Friday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Heavy shelling was reported.
Artillery fire was reported in the Hrasno district and other
areas.
Source(s): Reuters; see also Reuters report on 6/2/93.
- Targets Hit :
- The area near a small hospital in the Hrasnica area;
the Hrasno district; Dobrinja; Novo Sarajevo; the city centre;
Ilidza; Ilijas; Grbavica.
Source(s): Agence France Presse;
Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Sniper fire was reported to have kept Sarajevo
residents scurrying along freezing streets.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Casualties :
- SRNA reported that four people were killed and 24
wounded in the shelling of Serb districts. The BiH Public Health
Ministry reported eight killed and 35 wounded on this day. *1954
Source(s): Reuters; BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
UN troops were reported to have evacuated children from
a small hospital near Sarajevo airport in Hrasnica, when the area
came under mortar
fire. *1955
Sniper fire was reported to have kept Sarajevo
residents scurrying along freezing streets and random artillery
rounds were reported to have smashed into the Hrasno district.
*1956
Bosnian Serbs shelled the Sarajevo districts of
Dobrinja, Novo Sarajevo and central parts of the town, Radio
Sarajevo said. However, the Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA
counter-charged that Muslim shelling of Serb-held districts of
Ilidza, Ilijas and Grbavica killed four people (including a
child), and wounded 24. *1957
(c) International reported events
At UN headquarters in New York, mediators Cyrus Vance
and Lord Owen began separate talks with each warring faction in
hopes of making progress before informal Security Council
consultations on Monday. *1958
Top US national security officials spent over two hours
discussing US options in BiH. President Clinton refused to
endorse the Vance-Owen Plan and opted for a new diplomatic
initiative instead of military action. Clinton said that he
«applauds» the UN-EC effort but was «reluctant to impose an
agreement on the parties to which they do not agree». The
Administration reportedly planned to pressure the Serb side to
offer more land to the BiH
Government. *1959
6. 6/2/93 (Saturday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The city suffered only one outbreak
of shelling overnight after being shelled heavily on Friday.
UNPROFOR reported some artillery, mortar, heavy machine-gun and
small-arms fire in areas near the airport but said that the city
had generally been quiet. UN observers, who count about a third
of the shell fire, counted 447 shells of all types and 131 fired
by the BiH army. *1960
Source(s): Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Hospitals and the morgue reported two dead and 18
wounded. *1961 The BiH Public Health Ministry reported four
killed and 18 wounded. *1962
Source(s): Reuters; BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Sarajevo suffered only one outbreak of grenade blasts
overnight after being shelled heavily on Friday. *1963
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
7. 7/2/93 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- A group of people standing in line
for water were hit by a mortar bomb in the Gazin Han area.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- A water line in the Gazin Han area.
Source(s):
Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Three people were killed and five others
wounded when a mortar bomb hit a group waiting for water in the
Gazin Han area.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The BiH Crisis Centre said that four people were
killed and 23 wounded in Sarajevo in the past 24 hours. Those
figures included the people hit while waiting for water. *1967
The BiH Public Health Ministry reported one killed and 17 wounded
for the day. *1968 The BiH Public Health Ministry reported, to
date: 8,281 killed, missing or dead from cold, or hunger (of
which 1,248 were children); 48,315 wounded (of which 12,357 were
children); and 14,748 heavily wounded (of which 2,221 were
children). *1969
Source(s): Reuters; BiH Ministry of Public
Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Two women and a child were killed and five people were
wounded when a mortar bomb hit a group waiting for water in the
Gazin Han area. The mortar was fired from positions held by
Serbs in the hills overlooking the city, according to Radio
Sarajevo. Another person was wounded nearby by a second mortar
bomb. *1970
(b) International reported events
8. 8/2/93 (Monday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The city was reported as
relatively quiet. However, certain sections were hit by sporadic
mortar, machine-gun and anti-aircraft fire. UNPROFOR reported
that during the last week, shell-fire had been concentrated in
the western (airport) area of the city and on the eastern Old
Town. The most serious infantry fighting had been in Nedzarici
and Dobrinja coupled with fighting over the rail yards at
Rajlovac. BiH had reportedly built up forces on the Zuc to
control the north and west area of the city limits. The Serb
forces had responded with a build-up of tanks and artillery.
UNPROFOR noted that BiH appeared to want to control movement in
the direction of Vogosca and Visoko. Infantry were also reported
active in Colina Kapa and Batanja, which was estimated to be an
attempt to control road communications between Lukavica and the
areas north of the city. The Serbs had shelled Grdonj and Kosevo
hospitals periodically. UNPROFOR reported that front lines had
not been altered significantly. UN movements into the city had
been hampered on several occasions by protesting Serb women and
check points wishing to take parts of the loads from UNHCR
vehicles. *1972
Source(s): Reuters; UNPROFOR.
- Targets Hit :
- Novi Grad (noon); Novo Sarajevo; Vojnicko Polje;
Stari Grad; Dobrinja.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
Although relatively quiet, Sarajevo was hit by sporadic
mortar, machine-gun and anti-aircraft fire. *1973 At noon, the
Novi Grad (New Town) area was reported as being under heavy
bombardments with mortar fire striking at least two other
suburbs. *1974 BiH radio said the situation in Sarajevo was
rapidly becoming worse as Serbs started shelling the areas of
Novo Sarajevo, Vojnicko Polje, Stari Grad and Dobrinja. *1975
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
Mediators Cyrus Vance and Lord Owen briefed the UN
Security Council on their peace plan for BiH. But the plan
suffered a setback when Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic told
the Belgrade-based Tanjug news agency that he would not accept a
map which divided BiH into 10 semi-autonomous provinces along
ethnic lines. *1978
9. 9/2/93 (Tuesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Artillery duels and small-arms fire
continued in Sarajevo.
Source(s): New York Times.
- Targets Hit :
- Hrasno (two shells in the morning); Marin Dvor
residential district near the Parliament and Holiday Inn; the
Novo Sarajevo district (three shells); the Dobrinja district
(several shells).
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- British reports put the number of Bosnian Muslims
who had died in and around Sarajevo since November 1992 at 2,000
to 3,000. *1979
Source(s): Washington Post.
- Narrative of Events :
-
According to Sarajevo Radio, two artillery shells hit
the Hrasno district in the morning and Muslim forces returned a
single round. Random shelling hit the city during the night,
including the residential district of Marijin Dvor, close to
Parliament and the Holiday Inn. Three shells landed in the Novo
Sarajevo district. There was also small-arms fire during the
night in the Novo Sarajevo district. Several shells were fired
into the Dobrinja district. *1980
Artillery duels and small-arms fire continued in the
Drina River Basin, Sarajevo and a dozen other areas of BiH
despite an order by the BiH Army's Chief of Staff, Sefer
Halilovic, for an end to offensive operations to allow for
repairs to electricity and water lines. International aid
flights from Zagreb to Sarajevo were scheduled to resume on
Wednesday *1981
(c) International reported events
At the United Nations in New York, mediators Cyrus
Vance and David Owen briefed the Security Council on their
efforts to bring peace to BiH. Diplomats said their peace plan,
negotiated with the three warring factions since September, had
little chance of further progress until the new Clinton
administration in Washington announced its own policy on BiH. The
Vance-Owen plan also suffered a setback yesterday when Bosnian
Serb leader Radovan Karadzic rejected the map accompanying the
plan. *1982
The Clinton Administration reversed US policy by
declaring its willingness (once all three sides accepted the
Vance-Owen Plan) to put US troops on the ground as peacekeepers.
On ABC News a senior official said that «no decisions on
committing such forces and no commitments» have been made.
However, he conceded that there had been a «general discussion of
the need for enforcement of an agreement and a US willingness to
participate in such enforcement». *1983
10. 10/2/93 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The city was reported quiet during
the morning despite sniper fire in the centre and Novo Sarajevo
suburb.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- The city was reported quiet during the morning
despite sniper fire reported in the centre and Novo Sarajevo
suburb. *1984 Another report said that Sarajevo was quiet except
for sniper fire reported in the centre and a northern district.
*1985
Source(s): Reuters.
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
The city was reported quiet during the morning with
sniper fire reported in the centre and Novo Sarajevo suburb.
*1986 Another report said that Sarajevo was quiet except for
sniper fire reported in the centre and a northern district. *1987
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
In New York, Lord Owen met with the Ambassadors of
Canada, New Zealand, Belgium and Venezuela. He later held talks
with the US Secretary of State, and the head of UN Peace-keeping
Operations, Marak Goulding. *1989
The United States entered the international attempt to
halt the bloodshed in the Balkans by naming Ambassador Reginald
Bartholomew as special envoy to help broker a truce. Secretary
of State Warren Christopher outlined a US initiative that
included tougher sanctions against Serbia but stopped short of
immediate US military participation, saying that American troops
would only be used to enforce a peace accord. *1990
US Secretary of State Christopher condemned Serbian
«ethnic cleansing» as «mass murders, systematic beatings, the
rapes of Muslims and others, prolonged shelling of innocents in
Sarajevo and elsewhere, forced displacement of entire villages,
[and] inhumane treatment of prisoners in detention
camps». *1991
11. 11/2/93 (Thursday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The city suffered one of its
heaviest days of fighting in several weeks with Serb gunners
shelling the Old Town area with heavy artillery. Shelling was
also reported near the airport.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- The Old Town area; an UNPROFOR armoured personnel
carrier at the airport; the airport.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Four French soldiers were injured when a
mortar directly hit their armoured personnel carrier at the
Sarajevo airport.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- An unidentified American freelance
photographer working for Reuters was shot in the foot by a sniper
as he drove west on the airport road, known locally as «snipers'
alley». *1992 The airport also was reported to have received
heavy sniper fire since early in the morning.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Casualties :
- Four French soldiers were injured when a mortar
directly hit their armoured personnel carrier at Sarajevo
airport. The BiH Crisis Centre said that in the past 24 hours, 10
people had been killed in Sarajevo. *1993
Source(s): Reuters.
- Narrative of Events :
-
UN relief flights from Zagreb to Sarajevo were
temporarily suspended in mid-afternoon because of heavy shelling
at the airport, according to the UNHCR spokesman Peter Kessler.
*1994
UN Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali protested the
launching today of a Muslim counter-offensive of shelling in a
Sarajevo suburb. *1995 Two French UN soldiers were wounded and UN
humanitarian aid flights were suspended. New attacks on the Serb
area of Ilidza, near the city's airport, erupted after Secretary
of State Christopher appealed to all sides on Wednesday to stop
their heavy-weapons fire. *1996
Sarajevo suffered one of its heaviest days of fighting
in several weeks. Serb gunners hit the city's Old Town with
heavy artillery. Muslims and Croats fought back with mortars,
grenades and small-arms fire. The wave of fighting took place
hours after the new Clinton administration in the United States
threw its support behind the UN-European Community peace plan and
said that it would help enforce any agreement with military
strength. *1997
Four French soldiers were injured when a mortar shell
hit their armoured vehicle at Sarajevo airport. A Reuters
reporter saw the shell hitting the armoured personnel carrier at
1:00 p.m. and an ambulance taking away the members of UNPROFOR.
The airport had sustained heavy mortar, small-arms and sniper
fire since early in the morning. The four were members of a
French paratroop battalion protecting the airport which included
two companies drawn from a Legion unit. A French army official
said that two of the wounded soldiers were in serious condition
and that one had already lost an arm. In accordance with Legion
practices of shielding their mens' identities, the army gave no
personal information about the four or their nationalities. *1998
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
12. 12/2/93 (Friday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- BiH forces attempting to break the
siege of the city renewed an offensive at the western end of the
city where commanders sought to punch through Serbian lines.
Infantry attacks by BiH forces prompted heavy shelling of
civilian districts of the city.
Source(s): New York Times.
- Targets Hit :
- Unnamed civilian districts of the city; the airport
area.
Source(s): New York Times.
- Description of Damage :
- While unloading relief trucks, five UN
soldiers were struck by fragments from a mortar barrage which hit
the Sarajevo airport.
Source(s): New York Times.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- While unloading relief trucks, five UN soldiers
serving with the UN peace-keeping force, were struck by fragments
from a mortar barrage that hit the Sarajevo airport. *2005 At
least 20 people were reported killed or wounded on this day.
*2006
Source(s): New York Times.
- Narrative of Events :
-
BiH forces attempting to break the siege of Sarajevo
renewed a probing offensive at the western end of the city, where
BiH commanders sought to punch through Serbian lines towards BiH-
held territory to the north and west. Infantry attacks by the BiH
forces prompted heavy shelling of civilian districts of the city,
with at least 20 people reported killed or wounded. Five UNPROFOR
soldiers were struck by fragments from a mortar barrage that hit
the Sarajevo airport as they were unloading relief trucks. *2007
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
13. 13/2/93 (Saturday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- There was heavy shelling reported
of civilian districts around the airport and UNPROFOR
headquarters and fighting during the night in the Muslim quarter
of Hrasno. More than 1,500 shell rounds were counted by UNPROFOR.
Source(s): New York Times, UNPROFOR.
- Targets Hit :
- Civilian districts around the airport; UNPROFOR
headquarters.
Source(s): New York Times.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Sniper fire was reported in Sarajevo.
Source(s): New York Times.
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
There was heavy shelling of civilian districts around
Sarajevo airport and UNPROFOR HQ in the city and fighting during
the night in the Muslim quarter of Hrasno. Sniping and shelling
was reported in Sarajevo. *2012 UNPROFOR counted more than 1,500
shell rounds fired. *2013
(b) Local reported events
French General Phillipe Morillon accused BiH troops of
deliberately attacking the French Foreign Legion at Sarajevo
airport. Morillon said that an investigation of the craters had
proved the rounds were fired Thursday from the area of Butmir, a
BiH-held suburb beyond the airport. He said he had lodged a
strong protest with President Alija Izetbegovic who had promised
to investigate and charge the commander responsible. The attack
came in the midst of a pitched battle between BiH army and Serb
troops which included heavy shelling across the airport runway
and infantry attacks with several BiH and Serb held suburbs
around the airport. The fighting continued on Friday and
Saturday, but it was unclear whether either side had gained any
ground. *2014
The boycott of humanitarian aid supplies by BiH's
Muslim-led government forced UN peacekeepers to close Sarajevo
airport Saturday because there was no more room to store incoming
supplies. BiH authorities in Sarajevo had said that they would
refuse aid for Sarajevo until UN relief convoys started getting
emergency food and medical supplies through to 100,000 starving
Muslims trapped by Serb forces in eastern BiH. *2015
(c) International reported events
US Special Envoy Batholomew reported that his meeting
in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Kozyrev had been «very,
very positive». Russian leaders, however, reportedly promised to
oppose tighter sanctions against Serbia. They also insisted that
peace be attained by negotiation and not by force. *2016
14. 14/2/93 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- BiH forces launched a reported
artillery and infantry attack against the Ilidza district and
Lukavica.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Lukavica.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported to date:
8,327 killed, missing, or dead from cold, or hunger (of which
1,268 were children); 48,557 wounded (of which 12,499 were
children); and 14,894 heavily wounded (of which 2,294 were
children). *2017
Source(s): BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
BiH government forces launched a heavy attack against
Serbs in Sarajevo's Ilidza district, near the airport. Tanjug,
reported that Muslim forces launched an artillery and infantry
assault on the Sarajevo suburb of Lukavica. BiH government
continued Sarajevo's UN aid boycott. *2018
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
The UN countered BiH's refusal to accept relief
supplies for Sarajevo by suspending all aid flights into the
capital. The UN military command in Sarajevo and UN relief
officials in Geneva said there was no point in risking the lives
of international air crews to fly in food and medicine if the aid
was not going to reach Sarajevo's 380,000 residents. *2020
15. 15/2/93 (Monday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Heavy shelling was reported in the
city, accompanied by heavy fighting in the outlying districts.
BiH forces were reported to have maintained artillery fire
throughout the day in Ilidza. In its weekly summary, UNPROFOR
reported that from the 7 February cease-fire to 11 February
shelling decreased within the area of the city. Shelling
throughout the week was concentrated in the Butmir, Stup, Stup-
Brdo, Nedzarici, Mojmilo, Dobrinja, Ilidza, Lukavica, Rajlovac,
Grdonj and Sedrenik areas. UNPROFOR reported that with little
success, BiH forces continued their attempt to cut the ring road
east of the city to restrict Serb movement. In the Rajlovac area
fighting reportedly continued throughout the week. Serb artillery
throughout the week sporadically shelled the whole city. The
positioning of BiH mortars near the PTT building had continued to
attract fire from the Serbs, putting its personnel at risk. On 11
February at 6:15 a.m., the cease-fire was broken by a large
amount of mortar and artillery activity when the BiH army started
to shell Ilidza from Igman mountain. The Serb forces reacted by
shelling the western part of the city. At approximately 1:15
p.m., the BiH forces attacked Ilidza from Stup and Butmir with
infantry. The Serbs deployed tanks to the eastern part of the
runway. UNPROFOR reported that there were some indications that
up to 10 Serb tanks were deployed west of Ilidza to support Serb
troops. It was believed that the BiH forces failed to take any
ground. During the attack on Ilidza, UNPROFOR reported that the
BiH forces deliberately targeted the French Battalion base. One
mortar round was fired from Butmir which hit an APC injuring four
soldiers, one of whom subsequently died. During the week there
had been a relatively large number of «narrow escapes» for UN
personnel: The UN checkpoint had been shelled and one UNMO
vehicle suffered damage. UNPROFOR reported that it believed that
the UN was being deliberately targeted in Sarajevo. *2021
Source(s): Reuters; UNPROFOR.
- Targets Hit :
- Unidentified parts of the city; Stup; Azici; Ilidza.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- UNPROFOR reported that the Marsal Tito
barracks was hit by sniper fire at 11:25 a.m. and 2:00 p.m..
*2022
Source(s): UNPROFOR.
- Casualties :
- According to Bosnian Serb radio in Pale, BiH forces
kept up artillery fire throughout the day on the Serb suburb of
Ilidza. Five people, including three civilians were killed and
several others were wounded, it said. *2023 The BiH Public Health
Ministry reported eight killed and 70 wounded on this day. *2024
Source(s): Reuters; BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
On this day, artillery shells hit Sarajevo, sometimes
at the rate of one a minute as Serb tanks and infantry attacked
BiH defenders in the strategic western suburbs of Stup and Azici.
Stup and Azici were reported to be the last BiH-held suburbs west
of the main highway linking Sarajevo with its airport. The towns
would give Serb forces complete control of the vital road to the
airport. It was speculated that the attacks on Stup and Azici
were apparently a response to what UN observers and Serb
officials described as a major BiH offensive against the Serb-
held town of Ilidza. Ilidza, between the airport and Stup, had
come under repeated mortar and infantry attacks from BiH forces.
It was reported that if the BiH forces lost the two suburbs, it
would be a defeat reminiscent of the Serbs' capture of Otes, just
west of Stup, in December. *2025
Samir Ladzo, operations officer for BiH's 1st Brigade
in Sarajevo said his troops had destroyed one Serb tank in the
previous 24 hours. But he said the Serbs were using at least six
other tanks along their Stup-Azici front. He said Serb forces
had broken through the first line of defence around Azici Sunday
night after a BiH unit pulled back under a tank assault. The
Serb breakthrough forced the defenders in one sector to withdraw
several hundred yards to an inadequate second line where soldiers
had been trying tried to dig trenches deeper while under tank,
artillery and mortar fire. Ladzo said that one of his men had
been killed and three wounded since Sunday night. *2026
According to Bosnian Serb radio in Pale, BiH forces
kept up artillery fire throughout the day on the Serb suburb of
Ilidza. Five people, including three civilians, were killed and
several others were wounded, it said. *2027
16. 16/2/93 (Tuesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Sporadic shelling and shooting was
reported in the Old Town. Serb and BiH troops traded small-arms
and machine-gun fire in the suburbs of Stup and Azici where there
had been reported fighting over the past five days.
Source(s):
Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- The Old Town.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- UNPROFOR reported that the Marsal Tito
barracks was again hit by sniper fire. *2028
Source(s): UNPROFOR.
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported nine killed
and 49 wounded on this day. *2029
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Serb and BiH troops traded small-arms and machine-gun
fire in the western suburbs of Stup and Azici where there had
been reported fighting over the past five days. *2030
Sporadic shelling and shooting was reported in the
city's Old
Town. *2031
(b) Local reported events
For the fifth day in a row the Muslim-led Sarajevo city
council refused to distribute relief food to its citizens. UN
officials criticized this decision because it increased the level
of suffering. BiH government officials said that the suffering of
their own people was the only weapon they had left to jolt the
international community into action. *2032
(c) International reported events
Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic said that he
expected the pressure on Serbs during talks in New York to
continue. He said that the the Serbian delegation would propose
that further talks be held in Geneva rather than New York, where
he believed that the Serbian side was not on equal footing. *2033
17. 17/2/93 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The Battle for Stup and Azici was
reported to be in its seventh day as west and central Sarajevo
was shelled. The situation was reported as quiet overnight, but
fighting picked up in the afternoon. Although Serb radio said
that Stup fell on this day, BiH soldiers and ammunition were
reportedly rushed through the town to the front throughout the
day.
Source(s): Press Association; Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- West and central portions of the city; the Kosevo
Hospital; the main bakery; the UNPROFOR Bistrik barracks; the
UNPROFOR Tito barracks.
Source(s): Reuters; Press Association;
UNPROFOR.
- Description of Damage :
- Two people were wounded when a shell hit
an operating theatre at the Kosevo Hospital; five shells were
reported to have hit the city's main bakery and there were
reports that 1 person was killed.
Source(s): Reuters; Press
Association; UNPROFOR.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Two people were wounded when a shell hit an
operating theatre at the Kosevo Hospital; five shells were
reported to have hit the city's main bakery and there were
reports that one person was killed. The BiH Public Health
Ministry reported eight killed and 51 wounded on this day. *2034
Source(s): Reuters; Press Associationa; BiH Ministry of Public
Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
The Battle for Stup and Azici, two Sarajevo suburbs on
the western flank of the city's vital airport road, was reported
to be in its seventh day. BiH reports said that the situation was
quiet overnight, but that heavy fighting picked up during the
afternoon. Although Serb radio broadcast that Stup fell on this
day, BiH soldiers and ammunition were reported as being rushed
through the town to the front throughout the day. Local
commanders said the situation in neighbouring Azici was
difficult, but they vowed not to surrender the two towns. The
BiH defence of Stup and Azici was reported as complicated by the
enormous disparity of firepower between BiH forces and Serbs.
Drawing upon stores of the former Yugoslav national army, the
Serbs utilized tanks, heavy machine-guns and artillery in battle.
Although Serb lines were within range of BiH artillery on nearby
Igman mountain, the BiH forces had only a few tanks and not much
ammunition. It was reported that their defence depended mainly
upon fighters using small-arms and home-made anti-armour
grenades. *2035
West and central Sarajevo were shelled and shells hit
Sarajevo's Kosevo hospital and the main bakery. The hospital
said that tow people were wounded when a shell hit an operating
theatre at the main hospital. Five shells were reported to have
hit the bakery. Sarajevo radio said that one person was killed,
but staff members at the plant said they did not know of any
deaths. The bakery had stopped producing bread because it had run
out of diesel fuel for its electricity generators. The fuel was
provided as part of UN aid, but the bakery, along with the rest
of Sarajevo, had refused to accept supplies from the UN until aid
reached Muslims trapped in eastern BiH. *2036
UNPROFOR reported that two monitoring observation posts
were evacuated after Serb forces threatened to shell them. It was
also reported that the Bistrik and Marsal Tito barracks were hit
by shells and mortars. *2037
(b) Local reported events
It was reported that the fighting in and around the
city had cut electricity, gas and water mains. With midday
temperatures hovering near freezing, General Phillipe Morillon,
commander of the UN peacekeepers in BiH, called for a cease-fire
so that utilities (which served both sides), could be repaired.
The UN forces said that the BiH government and the Serbs had
agreed in principle and were trying to work out details of a
truce. *2038
Citing safety concerns, UN High Commissioner for
Refugees Sadako Ogata said land convoys and airlifts to Sarajevo
would be stopped and all UN personnel would be withdrawn with the
exception of a skeleton staff. *2039 BiH President Alija
Izetbegovic reacted angrily to the suspension of aid to his
Republic, accusing the UN of engaging in «blackmail of the rich
against the poor». *2040
(c) International reported events
18. 18/2/93 (Thursday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The BiH army was reported to have
attacked Ilidza and UNPROFOR closed the roads in the area as the
fighting intensified with artillery barrages and infantry surges.
Serb forces were reported to have continued their attack on the
western gateway to the city and fighting was reported close to
the airport and to the UNPROFOR headquarters. The city was
reported to have had a relatively quiet night with occasional
shellfire.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Ilidza; the area near the UNPROFOR headquarters;
the UNPROFOR French Battalion's vehicles; the Marsal Tito
barracks.
Source(s): Agence France Presse; UNPROFOR.
- Description of Damage :
- The UNPROFOR French Battalion was hit by
two shell rounds which damaged some vehicles.
Source(s): Agence
France Presse; UNPROFOR.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported seven killed
and 77 wounded on this day. *2042
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
The BiH army was reported to have attacked the nearby
Serb stronghold of Ilidza. UNPROFOR once again closed roads in
the area as the fighting intensified with artillery barrages
accompanied by infantry surges. Commander Frewer of UNPROFOR
said that BiH infantrymen attacked Ilidza in the morning as the
army's gunners laid down artillery and mortar fire. *2043
Serb forces were reported to have continued their
attack on the western gateway to the city. Fighting was reported
close to the airport and the UNPROFOR headquarters located in the
post and telegraph building where a spokesman said that
contingency plans had been drawn to protect its personnel. It
was reported that shells were coming in so close that personnel
in the building, and around it, had to dive for cover. *2044
UNPROFOR reported that the French Battalion was hit by
two rounds, possibly 120 millimetre artillery shells which
damaged some vehicles. The Marsal Tito barracks were also hit by
several mortar rounds. *2045
Sarajevo had a relatively quiet night with only
reported occasional shells coming from Serb gunners on
surrounding mountainsides. *2046
(b) International reported events
19. 19/2/93 (Friday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Military observers reported 1,074
artillery rounds hitting BiH government positions in and around
Sarajevo. Only 15 artillery rounds were observed hitting Serb
positions. *2049 Serb forces were reported as continuing to blast
suburbs of key importance for control of the road to the airport.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Unidentified suburbs near the airport; Mt. Igman;
BiH government positions in and around Sarajevo.
Source(s):
Reuters; UNPROFOR.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Snipers were reported active in the Novo
Sarajevo district.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported three killed
and 28 wounded on this day. *2050
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Serb forces were reported as continuing to blast
Sarajevo suburbs of key importance for control of the road to the
city's airport. In the city, Sarajevo radio reported that heavy
machine-gun exchanges were heard in the area around the
Parliament and that snipers were active in the Novo Sarajevo
district. *2051
At 7:00 p.m., UNPROFOR reported a major explosion on
Mt. Igman resulting in a shock wave carrying as far as Sarajevo.
*2052
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
20. 20/2/93 (Saturday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Tanjug reported that Serb forces
had pushed BiH forces back around the key suburbs of Stup and
Azici. The main battle had been for a strategic stretch of open
ground at Azici where defenders had attempted to hold trenches
guarding the west entrance to the city. BiH soldiers armed with
rifles and anti-tank weapons were reported under heavy fire from
Serb tanks and anti-aircraft machine-guns flanking the BiH
positions on three sides. BiH casualties were reportedly high.
Source(s): Reuters; New York Times.
- Targets Hit :
- The Rajlovac area of the city.
Source(s): UNPROFOR.
- Description of Damage :
- The BiH army reportedly fired two wire
guided anti-tank missiles in the Rajlovac area of the city.
Source(s): UNPROFOR.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported six killed
and 68 wounded on this day. *2055 Last week, the BiH government
said that it had the names of 8,327 people who been killed in
Sarajevo or were missing for more than three months, and another
63,451 who had been wounded. Health Ministry information
suggested a soaring suicide rate, a near doubling of abortions,
and a 50 per cent drop in births. *2056
Source(s): New York
Times; BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Tanjug reported Serbs had pushed BiH forces back around
the key Sarajevo suburbs of Stup And Azici, which commanded the
road to the airport. *2057
The main battle had been for a strategic stretch of
open ground at Azici, on the western end of the city where BiH
defenders had attempted to hold trenches guarding the western
entrance to the city. BiH soldiers armed with rifles and anti-
tank weapons, were reported as heading out in twos and threes
toward their trenches which were under heavy fire from Serb tanks
and anti-aircraft machine-guns flanking the BiH positions on
three sides. Casualties among the BiH forces reportedly ran close
to 50 per cent. *2058
UNPROFOR reported that the BiH army fired two wire
guided anti-tank missiles in the Rajlovac area of the city.
UNPROFOR also commented that the BiH forces were believed to hold
Red Arrow anti-tank missiles. *2059
(b) Local reported events
21. 21/2/93 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Shelling reportedly intensified
near the middle of the day. In its weekly summary, UNPROFOR
reported that Serb forces counter-attacked against Stup on 14
February and during six days of fighting had pushed the BiH
forces back to their secondary lines of defence within Stup.
There was a lull in the battle on 20 February. There were reports
that two tanks and up to 20 APCs took part in the attack. The
Serbs confirmed that they had two tanks destroyed in the fighting
in Stup. During the attack, Serb artillery engaged the western
end of the city. It was also believed that Serb forces may have
manoeuvred up to 20 tanks in the Ilidza area. There were
conflicting reports that these were M84s but more likely T55s.
The BiH forces attacked Rajlovac and Vogosca during the week but
with little or no success. Supporting fire for the BiH forces
came from Visoko and from Mount Igman. There were also reports of
an attack against Hadzici west of Sarajevo supported by artillery
fire from Mount Igman. UNPROFOR commented that the attacks
carried out by BiH forces and the counter-attack by the Serbs was
almost identical to the situation during the week of 1 December.
*2062
Source(s): Reuters; UNPROFOR.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported five killed
and 30 wounded on this day. *2063 It also reported to date:
8,373 killed, missing, or dead from cold, or hunger (of which
1,273 were children); 48,930 wounded (of which 12,619 were
children); and 15,080 heavily wounded (of which 2,354 were
children). *2064
Source(s): BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Sarajevo radio said that Serb shelling of the city
intensified near the middle of the day and that two women were
killed. *2065
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,
Sadako Ogata, issued a statement saying that her agency was
resuming full operations in BiH after receiving assurances that
the country's warring factions would no longer block aid convoys
or distribution. The statement said Ogata had agreed with UN
Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali that operations would restart «as
soon as possible, perhaps as early as Monday». *2068
22. 22/2/93 (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 nine killed
and 31 wounded on this day. *2069
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
No reported incidents.
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
23. 23/2/93 (Tuesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- For the past three days fighting
in the capital was reported to have been at its lowest level in
weeks, with as few as 15 shells per day, compared with more than
1,000 on some days last week. *2073 In the evening, Serb forces
launched an artillery attack on the Old Town area.
Source(s):
Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- The Old Town area (evening); an unidentified mosque
in the Old Town area.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Reports from the Old Town area said that
at least five people were killed and 20 wounded in the day's
shelling.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Reports from the Old Town area said that at least
five people were killed and 20 wounded in the day's shelling. The
BiH Public Health Ministry reported one killed and 18 wounded on
this day. *2074
Source(s): Reuters; BiH Ministry of Public Heath.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Serb forces launched an artillery attack in the evening
on Sarajevo's Old Town, with at least five shells hitting a
mosque as Muslims gathered for evening prayers at the start of
the holy month of Ramadan. Reports from the district said at
least five people were killed and 20 wounded. *2075
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
At the White House, UN Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali
approved air-drop operations after receiving assurances that the
US would coordinate operations with the UN. He also issued a
joint statement with President Clinton calling on the warring
factions to return to the peace table for negotiations. *2077
24. 24/2/93 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Shelling around Sarajevo was
reported to have dropped in intensity following a unilateral
cease-fire declared by the BiH government on Saturday. Serb
forces were reported to have captured Azici.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- The area near the Hadzijska mosque; the areas near
several mosques in Sarajevo.
Source(s): Washington Post.
- Description of Damage :
- A shell hit the home of Senadin Seta, age
32, at 4:50 p.m., injuring his wife and killing his two year-old
daughter. The home was less than 100 yards from Sarajevo's
Hadzijska mosque.
Source(s): Washington Post.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported four killed
and 12 wounded on this day. *2078
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Serb forces were reported to have captured the key
western suburb of Azici. A Reuters television crew went into the
suburb on Tuesday and found it «completely destroyed». Heavy
fighting broke out nearly two weeks ago when the Serbs attacked
the western suburbs. There was speculation that with the fall of
Azici fighting would be concentrated in Stup, its BiH-held
neighbouring suburb. If the Serbs captured Stup the western
entrance to Sarajevo would be wide open. The Serb attacks on
Azici and Stup followed a BiH government push against the Serb-
held stronghold of Ilidza. On some days, more than a thousand
shells were reported to have fallen in the contested areas. The
Serbs said that they captured Azici without a single soldier
killed and only a handful wounded. «We don't want to lose more
soldiers, so we decided on a new tactic: we destroy a place
before we occupy it», said Svetozar Guzina, deputy commander of
the Serb forces in the area. *2079
A shell hit the home of Senadin Seta, age thirty-two at
4:50 p.m., injuring his wife and killing his two year-old
daughter. The Seta family lived less than 100 yards from
Sarajevo's Hadzijska mosque. Bombs were reported to have landed
near several other mosques at that time. *2080
Shelling around Sarajevo was reported to have dropped
in intensity following a unilateral cease-fire declared by the
BiH government on Saturday. This was reported to be the 19th
such cease-fire. *2081
(b) Local reported events
In the evening, Radovan Karadzic said that he would
head the Serb delegation at the New York talks and that the co-
chairmen had given him strong assurances that the Muslim side
would be headed by Izetbegovic. *2082 He said that he would
participate in negotiations despite threats to start legal
proceedings against him for having ordered the rape of Muslim
women. *2083
A statement by the Yugoslav General Staff described
«American interference» as increasingly drastic and unbearable«.
The statement described air-drops as part of a »ruthless imperial
ultimatum«. JNA officials said that US aeroplanes would
inevitably draw fire and would serve as a convenient pretext for
greater Western military intervention. They warned that
»appropriate steps« would be taken in response. Bosnian Serb
leader Karadzic described the plan as a »highly uncalled for,
very risky, and dangerous decision«. *2084
(c) International reported events
Russia released an eight-point Balkan peace plan which
included measures to tighten the arms embargo and toughen
sanctions against Croatia. The initiative was designed to win
support from Russian parliamentarians who believed too much blame
had been placed on the Serbs. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov said that «it is impossible in this conflict to determine
who is right and who is wrong». The plan noted the possibility
that a Russian contingent would join the multinational force
dispatched. *2085
25. 25/2/93 (Thursday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Shelling was reported to have
intensified around Sarajevo, with the UN recording thirty-three
rounds fired on Serb-held positions against 148 on BiH-held
territory. *2086
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported two killed
and 11 wounded on this day. *2087
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
No reported incidents.
(b) International reported events
26. 26/2/93 (Friday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Sarajevo had been reported as
relatively quiet in the morning, but in the afternoon the city
suffered a heavy round of artillery bombardment.
Source(s):
Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- The area near the Presidency (two shells); the
vicinity of the Holiday Inn (four shells); the area near a water
dispensing supplies to citizens; the Klas-Sarko and Velepekara
buildings.
Source(s): Reuters; Government of BiH.
- Description of Damage :
- Two shells landed near the Presidency
building, setting a building on fire two blocks away, and four
shells landed near the Holiday Inn Hotel during a lunchtime
attack. Staff at two hospitals said that they received 13
casualties; one shell landed near a water tanker dispensing
supplies to citizens. The tanker was holed by shrapnel from the
blast. The Klas-Sarko and Velepekara buildings (the city's only
providers of essential foodstuffs such as flour and bread) were
also shelled, according to a report from the Government of BiH.
Since the first attack on 17 May 1992, the buildings had
sustained 27 direct hits from 53 projectiles launched against
them. Damage inflicted on the buildings, equipment and vehicles
had been serious. Seven retail outlets had also been attacked.
One employee was killed due to shelling during this period and
six were wounded, among them three drivers during a delivery to a
retail outlet. *2090
Source(s): Reuters; Government of BiH.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Staff at two hospitals said that they received 13
casualties from the lunchtime attack. The BiH Public Health
Ministry reported three killed and 10 wounded on this day. *2091
Source(s): Reuters; BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Sarajevo had been reported as relatively quiet in the
morning with occasional bursts of machine-gun and small-arms
fire. *2092
At least 13 people were wounded when six shells were
fired into the city in the first heavy artillery bombardment of
Sarajevo in nearly a week. Two shells landed near the Presidency
Building, setting a building on fire two blocks away. Four
shells landed in the vicinity of the Holiday Inn Hotel used by
foreign journalists. One shell landed near a water tanker
dispensing supplies to Sarajevo's citizens. In an attempt to
fight the fire, residents used buckets to collect water from the
leaking tanker, holed by shrapnel from the blast. *2093
(c) International reported events
BiH President Izetbegovic met with US Vice President
Gore in the afternoon. Silajdzic was already in the US, and the
rest of BiH delegation was expected. Mate Boban, head of the
Croatian Delegation and Prime Minister Mile Akmadzic, another
member of the BiH delegation, arrived earlier. Akmadzic sent a
letter to US Senator Joseph Biden which denied the right of
Izetbegovic and Silajdzic to represent and speak in the name of
all three ethnic communities of BiH. In response, Biden made it
clear that he recognized Silajdzic as a representative of BiH and
that he believed that Silajdzic had sought help for all ethnic
communities. *2094
27. 27/2/93 (Saturday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- UN observers said that 24 shells
landed on Serb held areas of the city and 71 landed on BiH
government-controlled territory.
Source(s): UNPROFOR.
- Targets Hit :
- The area near the Presidency building (the street
between the Presidency and the International Press Centre); the
area near the Holiday Inn (two shells overnight).
Source(s):
Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- One man was killed and at least three
other people were injured when a shell hit near the Presidency
building in a street between the Presidency and the International
Press Centre. The road was littered with shattered stonework from
the Presidency and broken glass.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- One man was killed and at least three other people
were injured when a shell hit near the Presidency building in a
street between the Presidency and the International Press Centre.
The BiH Public Health Ministry reported six killed and thirty-one
wounded on this day. *2095
Source(s): Reuters; BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
One man was killed and at least three other people,
including a young girl, were injured when a shell hit near the
Presidency Building. The shell landed in a street between the
Presidency and the International Press Centre. The road was
littered with shattered stonework from the Presidency and broken
glass. Snow and ice were blackened by the blast. Guards inside
the Presidency Building said that the man had been killed
outright by the blast. A doctor at Kosevo hospital said that a
young girl and an older couple had been hurt. *2096
Sarajevo radio said that two shells also fell overnight
in the central district near the Holiday Inn Hotel.
(b) Local reported events
Two US aeroplanes dropped one million leaflets over
eastern BiH. The leaflets described impending food drops; they
warned prospective recipients to take cover; and they implored
soldiers not to fire at the aeroplanes. A radio operator in
Gorazde reported that many of the warning leaflets had landed 20
kilometres from the town. *2097
(c) International reported events
28. 28/2/93 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Shelling was reported in the Old
Town area and in the outskirts of the city.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- The Old Town area of the city; the outskirts of the
city.
Source(s): Reuters; Government of BiH.
- Description of Damage :
- According to a report from the Government
of BiH detailing damage to the Olympic Centre «Skenderija», 300
projectiles were launched against this building since the first
attack on 2 May 1992, 149 of the highest calibre. Marko
Starcevic, a security guard in the building, was killed by
shelling during this period. Most of the building (65 per cent
to 70 per cent) has been damaged by shelling and the ensuing
fires. Damage has been estimated at $8,360,000 US *2099
Source(s): Reuters; Government of BiH.
- Sniping Activity :
- Sniper fire in the city outskirts was described
as intense at times.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported six killed
and 30 wounded on this day. *2100 The BiH Public Health Ministry
reported to date: 8,414 killed, missing, or dead from cold, or
hunger (of which 1,275 were children); 49,068 wounded (of which
12,703 were children); and 15,149 heavily wounded (of which 2,396
were children). *2101
Source(s): BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Sarajevo radio said that shellfire killed one person
and wounded another in the Old Town area of the city. It also
said that shells landed in the city's outskirts and sniper fire
was intense at times. *2102
(b) Local reported events
In its monthly operational report, UNPROFOR reported
that it observed a significant increase in the number of rounds
fired. On 10 February a solution was proposed to establish an
agreement on utility repair missions. UNPROFOR characterized this
agreement as a failure and noted that 46 repair missions had been
planned, thirty-three completed, and 13 canceled (five for safety
reasons, eight for technical reasons). With regard to airport
crossings, UNPROFOR reported that during the last two weeks of
the month (crediting the French Battalion), there were no
casualties. UNPROFOR, however, noted an increased number of
crossing attempts totalling 12,850. *2103
L. March 1993
1. 1/3/93 (Monday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Sarajevo was shelled overnight and
into the day. UNPROFOR reported in its weekly summary that the
BiH unilateral cease-fire at the beginning of the week did not
hold, but that there was a marked decrease in shelling, mortaring
and shooting. UNPROFOR noted that when the Serbs fired into the
city, they used mortars for the majority of the time and not
artillery. UNPROFOR reported that the BiH forces carried out a
number of small attacks. First they attacked into Ilidza from
Butmir and Sokolovac. On 25 February they attacked Azici from
Stup. This resulted in an upturn in heavy fire from the Serbs.
UNPROFOR reported that information had been received which
indicated that the commanders of the 3rd and 4th Battalions which
withdrew their forces from Stup in last week's battle, had been
executed for withdrawing without orders and contributing to the
collapse of the BiH front line. UNPROFOR reported further that it
believed that both sides had resupplied their front lines and
were preparing for a new offensive. UNPROFOR commented that
Sarajevo had been very quiet in comparison to previous weeks.
Throughout the week, both sides appeared to have been firing
mortars as opposed to heavy artillery, which according to
UNPROFOR indicated that they required a resupply of artillery
ammunition. *2104
Source(s): Reuters; UNPROFOR.
- Targets Hit :
- Stup (early morning); the city centre (three
shells); the Old Town area.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported 12 killed
and thirty-six wounded on this day. *2105
Source(s): BiH
Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
According to Sarajevo radio, Sarajevo was shelled
overnight as three US military cargo aeroplanes dropped emergency
supplies into east BiH. The western suburb of Stup was bombarded
for 30 minutes in the early hours of the morning. Three shells
landed in the city centre and the Old Town area also came under
fire. *2106 UNPROFOR reported continued reinforcement of the
Stup area by both sides. Presidency forces launched attacks
against Vogosca which were repulsed. Serb pressure was exerted on
the area of Grbavica with tank fire and in Kosevo by artillery.
*2107
(b) Local reported events
Three Hercules C-130 transport aeroplanes dropped more
than 21 tons of relief supplies onto a besieged Muslim enclave
north-east of Sarajevo early in the day but a BiH minister said
the packages fell into Serb hands. «According to our
information, all the packages fell at Cerska into Serb hands»,
BiH Deputy Prime Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija reported, stating
that he had been briefed by UN officials and amateur radio
operators in contact with the region. UNHCR officials in Geneva
said that the packages were destined for Cerska, north-east of
Sarajevo whose 30,000 residents had been isolated and starving
for months. The drops were the first of a US operation to provide
aid to isolated Muslim, Serb and Croat enclaves in eastern BiH.
*2108
(c) International reported events
2. 2/3/93 (Tuesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Kosevo, Alipasino Polje and the
Vogosca districts were reportedly shelled. UNPROFOR reported
infantry fighting in the area north-east of Kosevo.
Source(s):
Helsinki Watch; Washington Post; Reuters; UNPROFOR.
- Targets Hit :
- The Kosevo Hospital; a crowd lining up for water
near the television station in the Alipasino Polje district; the
Vogosca district.
Source(s): Helsinki Watch; Washington Post;
Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- An architect named Munira was killed
while surveying mortar damage to Kosevo Hospital. Eight others
were injured. Her husband, Tajib, also an architect, had
reportedly mapped 96 direct mortar hits on the hospital and 81
shells that landed near the building. Tajib and others working
at the hospital had observed that shelling of the hospital
increased around noon, during visiting hours *2110; a shell
killed two people and wounded at least five when it exploded near
a crowd lining up for water near the televison station in the
Alipasino Polje district; a 12 year-old boy was killed when five
mortar shells landed in Vogosca.
Source(s): Helsinki Watch;
Washington Post; Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- An architect named Munira was killed while
surveying mortar damage to Kosevo Hospital; a shell killed two
people and wounded at least five when it exploded near a crowd
lining up for water near the televison station in the Alipasino
Polje district; a 12 year-old boy was killed when five mortar
shells landed in Vogosca. The BiH Public Health Ministry
reported 10 people killed and 46 wounded on this day. *2111
Source(s): Helsinki Watch; Washington Post; Reuters; BiH Ministry
of Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
UNPROFOR reported infantry fighting in the area north-
east of
Kosevo. *2112
An architect named Munira was killed while surveying
mortar damage to Kosevo Hospital. Eight others were injured. Her
husband, Tajib, also an architect, had reportedly mapped 96
direct mortar hits on the hospital and 81 shells that landed near
the building. Tajib and others working at the hospital had
observed that shelling of the hospital increased around noon,
during visiting hours. *2113
A shell killed two people and wounded at least five
when it exploded near a crowd lining up for water in western
Sarajevo. The shell exploded near the television station in the
Alipasino Polje district. *2114
A 12 year-old boy was killed when five mortar shells
landed on Serb-held districts of Vogosca, just north of Sarajevo.
*2115
(b) Local reported events
US aeroplanes dropped 19 tons of food and a half-ton of
medical provisions over Zepa. Secretary of Defense Aspin and
Joint Chiefs Chairman Powell termed the operation «successful»,
but several unnamed sources in the military and the US Government
said that only a limited amount of the relief supplies actually
reached their targets. *2116
(c) International reported events
Angry over news of a Serb attack, President Alija
Izetbegovic entered peace talks for the first time since they
moved to New York from Geneva, although he vowed to leave in a
few days and let his foreign minister negotiate. «I am going to
tell them that while we are talking, while we are negotiating,
the Serbians launched a new offensive against the people in east
BiH», he said. «The situation is very difficult and for us it's
incompatible». Shortly afterward mediators Vance and Owen issued
a statement deploring heavy fighting in Cerska and Srebrenica as
the peace talks were underway. *2117
The peace conference co-chairmen met with Izetbegovic,
BiH Prime Minister Akmadzic and Bosnian Croat leader Boban to
discuss Muslim/Croat relations in light of recent fighting. Lord
Owen later met with
Karadzic. *2118
Izetbegovic stressed that he would not lead the BiH
delegation in the talks, but that Silajdzic would. *2119
3. 3/3/93 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Sarajevo was mostly quiet in the
morning, but occasional small-arms fire overnight in Stup and
sporadic shelling in Dobrinja were reported. It said that Serb
forces tried unsuccessfully to break through BiH army lines on
Trebevic. UNPROFOR reported attacks by BiH forces from Dobrinja
towards Lukavica.
Source(s): Reuters; UNPROFOR.
- Targets Hit :
- Dobrinja.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported seven killed
and 41 wounded on this day. *2120
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Sarajevo was reported as mostly quiet in the morning
but Sarajevo radio reported occasional small-arms fire overnight
in the Muslim-held suburb of Stup and said that there was
sporadic Serb shelling of the Dobrinja district. It said that
Serb commandos tried unsuccessfully to break through BiH army
lines on Trebevic mountain to the north-east of the city. *2121
UNPROFOR reported attacks by BiH forces from Dobrinja
towards
Lukavica. *2122
(c) International reported events
In New York the United Nations Security Council
announced that it would go into emergency session at 3:30 p.m. to
discuss the fighting in eastern BiH where the European Community
had accused Serb forces of committing atrocities. UN Secretary-
General Boutros-Ghali was reported earlier in the day as saying
that he was willing to use UN forces to implement a peace
settlement. *2123
BiH President Izetbegovic signed the Military Agreement
for peace in BiH. Lord Owen met with British Secretary of State,
Douglas Hurd. The peace conference co-chairmen held talks with
Karadzic and Boban. *2124
4. 4/3/93 (Thursday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- UN observers recorded 39 artillery
shells, 41 mortar shells, and 26 tank rounds landing on Serb
controlled areas of Sarajevo, and 116 artillery shells, 149
mortar shells and 22 tank rounds landing on the BiH controlled
areas of the city. *2125
Source(s): United Press International.
- Targets Hit :
- A Canadian armoured personnel carrier in Visoko.
Source(s): United Press International.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Unidentified Serb snipers ambushed and killed
Chantal Godinot, a French woman with the Equilibre humanitarian
organization and wounded two Polish aid workers who were part of
a humanitarian aid convoy leaving Sarajevo. *2126 UNPROFOR HQ BH
COMD APC's were reported to have fired all available «smoke» to
provide cover. *2127
Source(s): United States Government;
UNPROFOR.
- Casualties :
- Unidentified Serb snipers ambushed and killed Chantal
Godinot, a French woman with the Equilibre humanitarian
organization and wounded two Polish aid workers who were part of
a humanitarian aid convoy leaving Sarajevo. *2128 The BiH Public
Health Ministry reported four killed and 24 wounded on this day.
*2129
Source(s): UNPROFOR; BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Canadian armoured personnel carrier was fired upon in
Visoko, situated about 12 miles north-west of Sarajevo. *2130
(c) International reported events
The Security Council asked UN Secretary-General Boutros-
Ghali to send troops or observers into eastern BiH and demanded
that the killings of civilians there cease. It warned that «those
guilty of crimes against international humanitarian law would be
held individually responsible by the world community». The
statement asked Boutros-Ghali to take immediate steps to increase
the presence of UN peacekeepers in eastern BiH but did not
specify what the troops were to do. *2131
The United Nations announced that the BiH government
had signed a military pact outlining a cease-fire and
disengagement of forces in a future peace settlement. The
agreement by itself would not stop the war in BiH. But spokesman
Fred Eckhard said: «It brings us one step closer toward getting a
political agreement upon which a cease-fire and cessation of
hostilities can be based». *2132
The peace conference co-chairmen and the UN Secretary-
General Boutros-Ghali met with Radovan Karadzic who continued to
refuse to sign the complete Peace Plan. They later met with
Izetbegovic, Boban and Churkin. *2133
5. 5/3/93 (Friday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- A decrease in fighting was reported
around Sarajevo.
Source(s): United Press International.
- Targets Hit :
- A 16 truck humanitarian aid convoy organized by
Serb, Catholic and Muslim charities (outside the Sarajevo airport
area).
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- A 16 truck humanitarian aid convoy was
destroyed near the area outside the
Sarajevo airport when four shells
were fired by BiH forces. Four
people were wounded.
Source(s):
Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported three killed
and 17 wounded on this day. *2134
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
A humanitarian aid convoy was destroyed when shells hit
a 16 truck convoy outside the Sarajevo airport injuring four
people. General Ratko Mladic, commander of the Serb forces in BiH
ordered a ban on such convoys passing through Serb controlled
areas until such time as their safety could be guaranteed. UN
military observers at the airport later confirmed that the attack
had been launched from Muslim positions in the city. «The Muslims
opened fire with heavy machine-gun fire and there were at least
four mortar rounds», said Dutch Captain Hans Kookij, deputy
commander of the military observers in Sarajevo. He said that the
convoy, organized by Serb, Catholic and Muslim charities, was not
painted white and did not look like UN aid trucks. Firing began
after the lead vehicle stalled, bringing the other trucks to a
halt on the approach road to the airport. *2135 Tom Squitieri, a
reporter for USA Today was slightly wounded in the attack. *2136
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
At a news conference President Clinton defended the
efficacy of US air-drops. He also said «we want to find ways to
tighten the embargo and we are moving on that right now, even as
we speak». He said that decisions would be announced very
shortly«. Yet Clinton also supplied three reasons for caution:
fear of a quagmire; the need for British and French support; and
the »not insignificant difficulty« of preserving warm ties with
Russia. *2138
6. 6/3/93 (Saturday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Shelling was reported near the
runway at the airport.
Source(s): UNPROFOR.
- Targets Hit :
- The Sarajevo airport runway.
Source(s): UNPROFOR.
- Description of Damage :
- A French UNPROFOR soldier was hit by
shrapnel on the runway at the Sarajevo airport.
Source(s):
UNPROFOR.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported one killed
and 10 wounded on this day. *2139
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
UNPROFOR reported that a French soldier was hit by
shrapnel while on the runway at the Sarajevo airport. *2140
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
The peace talks were suspended without accord. BiH
President Izetbegovic returned to Sarajevo, but pledged to rejoin
negotiations the next week «with the intention of moving the
discussions forward to a successful
conclusion». *2142 Radovan Karadzic stated that the second round
of the New York peace negotiations was over and that his
delegation was going home without signing BiH's provincial maps.
*2143
7. 7/3/93 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- In its weekly summary, UNPROFOR
reported that the level of activity had abated since the battle
of Stup. Both the Serb and BiH forces were reportedly reinforcing
and/or consolidating their positions. The level of artillery and
mortar fire reportedly increased compared to the prior week,
averaging 570 rounds per day. Main concentration areas were:
Stup, Dobrinja, Butmir, Kosevo, and the city centre. Tank fire
incidents also increased, indicating Serb armour presence closer
to the line of confrontation. UNPROFOR commented that the
consolidation of the line in the Stup area and subsequent
offensive action would depend on how quickly Serb armoured forces
could be brought forward to influence the battle. Slippery roads
had impeded the resupply and reinforcement of both sides,
however, and the movement of Serb armour from Pale was directly
attributable to their maintenance of the Pale road. Combat
activity reportedly continued as both sides initiated local
offensives. The scale of forces involved, and resulting
casualties were not known. Heavy infantry fighting was reported
between Butmir and Ilidza, as well as in Kosevo. Serb forces
reportedly repulsed an attacked by BiH forces towards Vogosca.
The latter was thought likely to relieve pressure on Stup by
drawing Serb forces away while attempting to link with reported
offensives by BiH forces at Vogosca from the Breza area. *2144
Source(s): UNPROFOR.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported three killed
and 18 wounded on this day. It also reported to date: 8,454
killed, missing, or dead from cold, or hunger (of which 1,275
were children); 49,260 wounded (of which 12,751 were children);
and 15,290 heavily wounded (of which 2,424 were children). *2145
Source(s): BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
No reported incidents.
(b) International reported events
UN Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali asserted that if the
current peace process did not result in the curtailment of the
Bosnian Serb offensive, the UN's member states, especially the
US, must prepare to send troops to the region for a «major
operation». Secretary of Defense Aspin was unsure whether the US
would be willing to send such troops. Boutros-Ghali stated that
if the Serbs signed the peace plan and then refused to withdraw
«we will have to take the necessary measures». *2146
8. 8/3/93 (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 one killed
and 20 wounded on this day. *2147
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
No reported incidents.
(b) Local reported events
Upon arriving in BiH after the New York talks,
President Izetbegovic declared, «I don't accept this [Vance-Owen]
map, I have never accepted it». Yet BiH UN Ambassador Sacirbey
said, «our President is definitely inclined to sign the peace
agreement». Vance appealed to the international community to «get
more pressure on the Serbs to move». *2148
A meeting planned between the head of UN forces in BiH
and Bosnian Serb and BiH military leaders was canceled after BiH
officials described such an encounter as pointless. Sources close
to General Phillipe Morillon said that while the scheduled
meeting, which had been aimed at securing a cease-fire in eastern
BiH, would not take place, the General would travel to Pale to
talk with Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic. BiH Vice
President Ejup Ganic commented that there was «no reason» for the
meeting proposed by Morillon of the rival military leaders. *2149
US aeroplanes dropped 46 tons of food and medicine in
the eighth air-drop. *2150
(c) International reported events
9. 9/3/93 (Tuesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Fighting was reported in the
western suburbs of Stup, Ilidza and Butmir. The airport was
closed three times due to shelling.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- The Sarajevo airport.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Sarajevo airport was closed three times
due to shelling.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported four killed
and 44 wounded on this day. *2152
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Fighting was reported in Sarajevo, mainly in the
western suburbs of Stup, Ilidza and Butmir and the road to the
airport, which was closed three times Monday because of shelling.
*2153
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
Detailing fresh reports of atrocities, UN High
Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata said in New York that
murder, torture, mutilation and rape were continuing in BiH as
part of a deliberate policy of «ethnic cleansing». *2156
British and US representatives on the UN Security
Council discussed measures to be taken if the Bosnian Serbs did
not sign the Vance-Owen Plan. They proposed that the Council
diplomatically and economically isolate the Serbs, enforce the no-
fly zone, and possibly lift the arms embargo. Russia and China
reportedly promised not to veto the proposal if Bosnian Serb
leader Karadzic rejected the Vance-Owen Plan. *2157
10. 10/3/93 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- There were no reports of shelling
during the night. Shelling and sniper fire were reported in the
city.
Source(s): Reuters; Washington Post; Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- In Sarajevo there were no reports of shelling
during the night though snipers were active in the morning firing
into the centre of the city. *2158 A few minutes past 4:00 p.m.
sniper shots injured a man near the Holiday Inn in downtown
Sarajevo. This incident was witnessed by Peter Maas of the
Washington Post. *2159
Source(s): Reuters; Washington Post.
- Casualties :
- It was reported that shelling and sniper fire killed
at least four people and wounded 20 in the city, hospital sources
said. *2160 The BiH Public Health Ministry reported four killed
and 12 wounded on this day. *2161
Source(s): Agence France
Presse; BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
In Sarajevo there were no reports of shelling during
the night though snipers were active in the morning firing into
the centre of the city. *2162 A few minutes past 4:00 p.m. sniper
shots injured a man near the Holiday Inn in downtown Sarajevo.
This incident was witnessed by Peter Maas of the Washington Post.
*2163
(b) Local reported events
BiH's collective presidency was preparing to meet in
Sarajevo for a crucial debate on whether to sign the Vance-Owen
peace plan. There was speculation that at the meeting of the BiH
leadership, President Alija Izetbegovic (who supported the plan
dividing BiH into 10 largely autonomous regions) would strive to
build consensus among his nine Presidency colleagues. Opposition
to the plan, strongest among elements of the BiH army, could
coalesce around Vice-President Ejup Ganic, who argued that it
rewarded Serb aggression. *2164
(c) International reported events
11. 11/3/93 (Thursday)
(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 seven killed
and 37 wounded on this day. *2166
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
No reported incidents.
(b) Local reported events
In Sarajevo, BiH leaders reported some progress in
talks on the Vance-Owen plan. Vice-President Ejup Ganic said
that some headway had been made: «We made a step forward», he
told reporters. «There is consensus nobody will act to jeopardize
the country's legal system . . . We want one constitution, one
currency, one legal system». Sources close to the talks said it
had been agreed to attempt to convene a session of the BiH
parliament Saturday or Sunday to debate the plan. *2167
(c) International reported events
Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic rejected arguments
from mediators Cyrus Vance and Lord Owen that he should try to
persuade the Bosnian Serb leadership to accept their peace plan.
During talks in Paris, Milosevic stressed that he had «only
limited» input into the conflict in BiH. But Vance and Owen,
speaking after a meeting and a dinner with Milosevic and French
President Franois Mitterand declared that «great progress» had
been made, pointing specifically to a warning delivered by
Mitterand to Milosevic that Serbia would be the target of harsher
international action unless the Bosnian Serbs agreed to the peace
plan. Vance said «a small group of very senior people from the
Bosnian Serbs» would travel to New York in the next five days «to
see if we can make some progress and close the gap between us».
*2168
12. 12/3/93 (Friday)
(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 eight killed
and 30 wounded on this day. *2169
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
No reported incidents.
(b) Local reported events
13. 13/3/93 (Saturday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- UNPROFOR reported that 98 shells
landed on the Serbian controlled area of Sarajevo and 72 shells
landed on BiH government controlled areas. *2171
Source(s):
United Press International.
- Targets Hit :
- Sarajevo courthouse.
Source(s): United States
Government; New York Times.
- Description of Damage :
- Three mortar bombs were fired at the
Sarajevo courthouse in which a war crimes trial was being held
and one mortar hit the building's roof.
Source(s): United States
Government; New York Times.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported three killed
and 47 wounded on this day. *2172
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Serbian forces surrounding Sarajevo reportedly launched
at least three mortar bombs at the Sarajevo courthouse in which a
BiH war crimes trial was being conducted. One mortar struck the
building's roof. *2173
(b) Local reported events
Serb armoured cars and armed soldiers blocked the
highway to prevent some 60 BiH Members of Parliament from coming
into the city to attend a meeting on the Vance-Owen international
peace plan. *2174
UNPROFOR reported that Serbs put in a temporary check
point at the Y junction of Kasindolska street and the road to the
PTT building leading from the airport. The check point consisted
of two tanks, one APC and 50 men. The check point held five
Canadian Cougars for three hours and the convoy from the
Presidency was stopped before arriving at the check point to
prevent them from going through the check point. The checkpoint
was removed within 24 hours. UNPROFOR later commented that the
checkpoint may have been a hastily installed to react to Serb
intelligence of VIP movement in a similar fashion to when the
Serbs fatally shot the BiH Vice President, or it may have also
been organized to assert authority over the Canadians who had
been patrolling in and out of Sarajevo. *2175
14. 14/3/93 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Artillery bombardment continued
throughout the day along the front at Visoko, about 12 miles
north-west of Sarajevo.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported three killed
and 39 wounded on this day. It also reported to date: 8,484
killed, missing, or dead (of which 1,288 were children); 49,489
wounded (of which 12,797 were children); and 15,443 heavily
wounded (of which 2,450 were children). *2176
Source(s): BiH
Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
According to Sarajevo radio, artillery bombardment
continued throughout the day Sunday along the front at Visoko,
about 12 miles north-west of Sarajevo. *2177
15. 15/3/93 (Monday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- In its weekly summary, UNPROFOR
reported that fighting within the city had decreased during the
week. The main artillery and mortar fire concentration was in
north-east Kosevo. Overall there had been a decrease in fire
compared to the prior month. Sniper fire within the city from
both sides had dramatically increased causing several casualties.
The road from the PTT building to the airport and the airport
road to Ilidza had been closed due to either shelling or small-
arms fire regularly during the week. The Serbs had canceled
utility missions during the week and when missions did take
place, they were targeted in an effort to stop them. UNPROFOR
reported that Serbs continued to shoot persons crossing the
airport by night. During the week they killed seven and wounded
eight others. The flow of crossings were predominantly from
Butmir to Dobrinja. UNPROFOR also reported that the restructuring
of the I Sarajevo Corps had continued during the week and would
probably be completed by 10 March. UNPROFOR commented that the
low level of fighting had coincided with the cease-fire and
restructuring of the I Sarajevo Corps, calling into question
whether the cease-fire was of political origin, or linked to the
restructuring process. UNPROFOR was also of the opinion that the
restructured Corps could give BiH a more powerful force with
greater command and control and that relationships between I
Sarajevo Corps and forces on Mt. Igman had improved. *2178
Source(s): UNPROFOR.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- A French aid worker was killed by a sniper.
*2179
Source(s): Washington Post.
- Casualties :
- The BiH Public Health Ministry reported 24 wounded.
No deaths were reported on this day. *2180
Source(s): BiH
Ministry of Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
A French aid worker was killed by a sniper. *2181
(c) International reported events
Peace talks on the former Yugoslavia were to resume
this week in New York. Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic
reportedly left his base in Pale, near Sarajevo for the talks,
while BiH President Alija Izetbegovic was also thought to be on
his way. Izetbegovic reportedly received the go-ahead on Sunday
from other BiH leaders to conditionally accept the Geneva peace
plan for BiH. *2182
16. 16/3/93 (Tuesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Shelling was reported in the city,
including the area near an emergency hospital.
Source(s):
Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- The area near the visiting Dutch Defence Minister;
an unidentified emergency room (two shells in the mid-afternoon).
- Description of Damage :
- A mortar fell about 10 metres from
visiting Dutch Defence Minister Relus (ter) Beek, injuring an
Egyptian UNPROFOR soldier; two mortar bombs exploded in the
forecourt of an unidentified Sarajevo emergency hospital in the
mid-afternoon.
Source(s): United States Government; Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- An unidentified Sarajevo hospital was hit by
sniper fire.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Casualties :
- The impact of a shell fired near the visiting Dutch
Defence Minister injured an Egyptian UNPROFOR soldier; another
shell killed two civilians nearby. *2183 Sarajevo's three main
hospitals: the emergency, French, and Kosevo, treated 68 war-
wounded, three of whom were reported to have died of injuries.
*2184 The BiH Public Health Ministry reported five killed and 20
wounded on this day. *2185
Source(s): United States Government;
Reuters; BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
A Serb mortar fell about 10 metres from visiting Dutch
Defence Minister Relus (ter) Beek in Sarajevo. The impact of the
shell injured an Egyptian UNPROFOR soldier; another shell killed
two civilians nearby. *2186
A Sarajevo emergency hospital was hit by mortar and
sniper fire. Two mortar bombs exploded in the hospital forecourt
in the mid-afternoon. The hospital was one that dispensed first-
aid to the war-wounded before sending them to one of Sarajevo's
main hospitals. *2187
(b) Local reported events
Croats in the BiH government publicly attacked a
decision by the BiH leadership to give President Alija
Izetbegovic a free hand in peace talks. In a statement released
in Zagreb, the Croats said that «decisions taken by the assembly
on Sunday are not in line with the fundamental principles of the
constitution of Bosnia, having been taken in the absence of
representatives of the Croatian people». It said the «organs of
the Bosnian state are not empowered to set conditions without the
agreement of representatives of the three constituent communities
of Bosnia». It also attacked «unfounded declarations» which put
the self-declared Croat republic of Herceg-Bosna and the self-
styled Serbian Republic of Bosnia, on the same footing, but did
not mention names. Over the weekend Izetbegovic said the Vance-
Owen plan «ensures the survival of BiH, despite the attacks
against it», and eliminated the two para-states on its territory:
Herceg-Bosna and the Serb republic. BiH Prime Minister Mile
Akmadzic, Defence Minister Bozo Rajic and Miro Lasic, the Croat
representative in the BiH presidency, had never visited Sarajevo
during their tenure of office. *2188
17. 17/3/93 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Serb and BiH forces were reportedly
linked in fierce fighting near the airport. UNPROFOR spokesman
Major Pepe Gallegos said that nearly 500 shells landed in the
Muslim-held Butmir district and the Serb-held suburbs of Ilidza
and Lukavica. Most of this took place between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00
a.m.. *2189 UNPROFOR spokesman Major Jose Gallegos announced that
962 shells had been fired on Sarajevo, mostly around the
President's office. *2190
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Butmir district; Ilidza; Lukavica; the airport; the
area near the Presidency.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- The local hospital reported five deaths and 21
wounded, but officials said the toll was likely to increase when
victims of shelling in the outlying areas of Butmir and Ilidza
were included. *2191 The BiH Public Health Ministry reported
three killed and 55 wounded on this day. *2192
Source(s): Agence
France Presse; BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Serb and BiH forces were locked in fierce fighting near
the Sarajevo airport. UNPROFOR spokesman Major Pepe Gallegos said
that nearly 500 shells landed in the Muslim-held Butmir district
and the Serb-held suburbs of Ilidza and Lukavica. Most of this
took place between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.. *2193
In Sarajevo, fighting continued throughout the day,
with artillery and other weapons active in all parts of the city,
flaring in the morning around the airport. The fighting was
reported to have died down around the city after nightfall. *2194
(b) International reported events
18. 18/3/93 (Thursday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Serbian forces reportedly launched
the heaviest artillery barrage in months against Sarajevo. The
attack with artillery shells, mortar bombs and anti-aircraft
shells hit the Muslim-held areas of Mojmilo, Cengic Vila, Buca
Potok and Dobrinja.
Source(s): Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- The Sarajevo courthouse where war crimes trials were
being held (and the vicinity); Mojmilo; Cengic Vila; Buca Potok;
Dobrinja.
Source(s): Reuters; Helsinki Watch; Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- A shell hit the roof of the Sarajevo
courthouse where two Serbs were being tried for war crimes and
dozens of other shells were heard in the vicinity.
Source(s):
Reuters; Helsinki Watch; Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- A 15 year-old boy was killed and at least 55 people
were wounded in the day's bombardment, medical officials
reported, adding that a number of wounded soldiers had not yet
reached hospitals because of the fighting. *2197 The BiH Public
Health Ministry reported three killed and 38 wounded on this day.
*2198
Source(s): Reuters; BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
A shell hit the roof of the Sarajevo courthouse where
two Serbs, Borislav Herak and Sretko Damjanovic, were being tried
for war crimes. Dozens of other shells were heard exploding in
the vicinity. *2199
The New York Times reported that Serbian forces
launched the heaviest artillery barrage in months against
Sarajevo. *2200 The artillery shells, mortar bombs and anti-
aircraft cannon shells hit the areas of Mojmilo, Cengic Vila,
Buca Potok, and Dobrinja, all Muslim-held residential areas.
*2201
(b) Local reported events
Swedish General Lars-Eric Wahlgren, UNPROFOR Commander
for the former Yugoslavia, met with BiH's highest state and
military officials during a visit to Sarajevo. He was received in
the Presidency building by BiH Presidency members Ejup Ganic,
Tatjana Ljuic Mijatovic and Mirko Pejanovic, General Staff
Commander Sefer Halilovic, and Deputy Commander of the General
Staff of the BiH Army, Jovan Divjak. *2202
BiH Vice President Ganic reported a «full-scale attack»
on Sarajevo and other targets in eastern BiH. The day's assault
was reported to be the worst since the new round of shelling
began five days ago, and Ganic believed that the Bosnian Serb
objective was to force the BiH Government to withdraw from the
peace talks in New York. *2203
(c) International reported events
19. 19/3/93 (Friday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Artillery and mortar fire resulted
in one of the heaviest tolls in a year.
Source(s): Agence France
Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- The area near a British aircraft approaching
Sarajevo airport.
Source(s): United States Submission.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Artillery and mortar fire killed 13 persons and
wounded 98 in Sarajevo, resulting in one of the heaviest tolls
since the beginning of the war one year ago, hospital sources
said here. Most of the wounded were in serious condition, a
doctor from one city hospital said. *2206 The BiH Public Health
Ministry reported 25 killed and 76 wounded on this day. *2207
Source(s): Agence France Presse; BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
An anti-aircraft round fired by Serbian forces passed
within 200 metres of a British aircraft as it approached the
Sarajevo airport. UNPROFOR subsequently closed the airport to
humanitarian aid flights. *2208
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
20. 20/3/93 (Saturday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- An estimated 3,000 shells hit the
suburb of Stup. BiH army sources denied that Stup had fallen to
Serbian forces.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Stup.
Source(s): Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- Three major fires were reported burning
during a massive Serb artillery assault on Stup.
Source(s):
Reuters; Agence France Presse.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- In Sarajevo, it was reported by the two main
hospitals that five residents, one of whom was an 11 year-old
girl, were killed and 62 wounded by Serb artillery bombardment.
*2212 The BiH Public Health Ministry reported 10 killed and 77
wounded on this day. *2213
Source(s): Agence France Presse; BiH
Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Bosnian Serb gunners pounded the Sarajevo suburb of
Stup. Refugees were reportedly fleeing the suburb with personal
belongings. «The situation is horrible, there has been shelling
all day», said 65 year-old Edhem Nezirovic as he walked into
Sarajevo from Stup. Three major fires were burning in Stup in the
afternoon. *2214
BiH military sources reported that some 3,000 shells
hit the suburb of Stup. But sources from the BiH army denied that
Stup (known as the gateway to Sarajevo) had fallen to Serb
forces. «Many houses are still burning but the situation began to
calm down around 2100 GMT», a BiH army source said, adding that a
fresh Serbian assault was expected Sunday night. The Bosnian Serb
news agency SRNA earlier quoted the commander of the «Sarajevo-
Romanija Corps of the Serb Army» as saying his men had taken Stup
during a «powerful counter-attack» against troops of the mainly
Muslim BiH army. The SRNA report said that the Serbs blew up a
BiH army munitions deport in Stup and that BiH troops were
retreating towards the city centre in «disorder and panic». *2215
(b) Local reported events
A UN official in Sarajevo who said that he feared an
outbreak of typhus, cited damaged water pipes and contaminated
supplies as likely sources of the potentially deadly disease.
«We're seriously worried about an outbreak of typhus», said Phil
Casey, a consultant to UNICEF. Casey said that ground-water
contaminated by raw sewage was threatening to seep into the
city's water distribution system. He noted that 12 cases of the
hepatitis "A" infection (which closely tracks the outbreak of
typhus), had been reported at the city orphanage. Casey said that
97 per cent of the city's water came from a single pumping
station in Serb-held territory outside the city. Power for the
station was reported to have been frequently interrupted when
fighting destroyed electric sub-stations and transmission lines
around the city. When the pumping station stopped pushing water,
negative pressure was reported to have built up in the mains,
sucking ground water into the system through the cracks in the
pipes. This problem became exacerbated in the city by a near-
total lack of water treatment to improve quality. Casey said that
about 60 per cent of the water in the city distribution system
was lost before it reached taps because of massive war damage and
repair problems. It was also reported that 18 of the city's 50
water repair technicians had been killed while trying to repair
cracked or leaking pipes. Casey said that the men regularly
worked under artillery and sniper fire without flak jackets or
protective helmets. When the water system shut down after a city-
wide power failure, as was the case this weekend, residents
queued at wells and springs to carry water home. Casey said that
as many as 20,000 people a day gathered water from a single well
in the city. *2216
(c) International reported events
21. 21/3/93 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Intensified fighting was reported
as Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic warned that if the UN
Security Council authorized the use of military means to enforce
a no-fly zone over BiH, his delegation could pull out of peace
talks. Observers around the city counted 2,398 shells hitting the
city. Senior UN officers said that with only a handful of
observation posts around the city, Serbian forces could be firing
as many as two or three shells for every one counted (it was
reported that 90 per cent of the shells appeared to be fired by
Serbian positions). *2218
Source(s): Agence France Presse;
Helsinki Watch; New York Times.
- Targets Hit :
- Dobrinja; the Old Town (eastern end); Stup; the
Sarajevo airport.
Source(s): Agence France Presse; Helsinki
Watch; New York Times.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- At least 30 people were reported injured in Dobrinja.
Sarajevo's major trauma clinics and morgue reported 95 people
wounded and at least eight dead. Most of the casualties were
civilians from Sarajevo's Old Town and Dobrinja districts and
soldiers from the embattled suburb of Stup. *2219 The BiH Public
Health Ministry reported five killed and 81 wounded on this
day. *2220
Source(s): Reuters; Agence France Presse; BiH Ministry
of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
The city came under heavy artillery attack in the
morning. Serb artillery hit the Old Town area and the residential
neighbourhood of Vratnik at dawn. There appeared to be few
casualties since the streets were empty when the shelling began.
A former school, which had been turned into a refugee centre, was
among the buildings hit in Vratnik. *2221
The BiH government-held neighbourhood of Dobrinja,
flanking the airport to the east, came under heavy shell attacks
and doctors said that at least 30 people had been wounded there.
*2222
BiH radio early reported a «general offensive» by Serb
gunners against the city, notably Stup, and advised all residents
to shelter in basements. It reported heavy shelling on the old
town, at its eastern end. *2223
In Stup, artillery guns, mortars, tanks and anti-
aircraft cannon resumed shelling at 4:30 a.m.. and increased
their firing at daybreak. *2224 BiH government forces suffered
casualties for the fifth day as a result of Serb tank and
artillery attacks. Scores of BiH soldiers could be seen headed on
foot into Stup at dusk to take up defensive positions. *2225
Vahid Karavelic, deputy chief of the BiH defence forces in the
Sarajevo region said on national radio that Serb forces had
failed to gain territory in the offensive. The Bosnian Serb news
agency SRNA claimed on Saturday that Serb forces had captured
Stup. *2226
Witnesses also reported heavy shelling of the Sarajevo
airport, apparently from BiH positions to the west of the runway.
A German television correspondent who was at the airport in the
morning said that people ran for cover in the terminal building.
There were no immediate reports of injuries. UN officials said
the road between the airport and Sarajevo had been closed at
least once because of the shelling. *2227
(b) International reported events
Intensified fighting came as Bosnian Serb leader
Radovan Karadzic warned in a television interview in New York
that if the UN Security Council authorized the use of military
means to enforce a no-fly zone over BiH his delegation could pull
out of peace talks. «I do not know if we can stay at the
conference or not. Our assembly could withdraw us from the
conference», he said. A resolution authorizing military
aeroplanes to enforce the six-month-old no-fly zone over BiH was
expected to be voted on Monday. *2228
UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said in New York that the
peace talks were at a dead end. *2229
22. 22/3/93 (Monday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Reports indicated that bombardment
from the surrounding mountains diminished somewhat in the morning
compared to Sunday, but intensified during the afternoon. In its
weekly summary UNPROFOR reported that Sarajevo had been extremely
turbulent. Sniper fire had been as high as it was in the last
week and Serb commanders threatened to increase shell fire if the
level of sniping by BiH forces did not cease. BiH forces carried
out an attack against Ilidza from Butmir which resulted in a Serb
counter-attack against Butmir from the east. The Serbs drove
tanks into the area of Butmir but later in the week withdrew them
to Donji Kotorac. UNPROFOR commented that the BiH attack allowed
the Serbs the perfect excuse to carry out their attack by
enabling them to accuse the BiH forces of being the aggressor.
The Serbs also responded by attacking the Rajlovac and Stup
areas. They managed to push the troops as far forward as the Stup
bridge, but withdrew their men shortly afterwards. According to
UNPROFOR, the attack in the Rajlovac area was partly successful.
They had taken some ground but probably did not achieve their aim
which UNPROFOR assessed to be the high ground dominating the Stup
bridge. UNPROFOR was of the opinion that if they had achieved
their goal, they could have given fire support to their attack on
Stup and the Stup bridge and their secondary minor attacks
against Mojmilo from Nedzarici and against Hrasno from Grbavica.
The attacks were all supported by high rates of fire from the
Serb guns to the east and by support tanks. UNPROFOR commented
that they did not know the final front line positions, but that
it was likely the Serbs had pushed forward into the Rajlovac area
and undoubtedly the BiH forces would want to push them back.
Therefore, UNPROFOR expected further fighting in the area. *2230
Source(s): Agence France Presse; UNPROFOR.
- Targets Hit :
- An unidentified school on the western approaches to
the city.
Source(s): Agence France Presse; UNPROFOR.
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Sniping was reported in the city. It was
reported that a 13 year-old girl was killed.
Source(s): Agence
France Presse.
- Casualties :
- Eighteen children were wounded and one killed when a
shell hit their school. *2231 Two Sarajevo hospitals reported
seven killed and 61 wounded in the day's shelling. A French
soldier was flown out of Sarajevo after being shot in the arm.
*2232 The BiH Public Health Ministry reported 12 killed and 83
wounded on this day. *2233
Source(s): Reuters; BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
According to hospitals, this cloudless spring day drew
many Sarajevans outdoors despite heavy shelling and sniping,
resulting in the wounding of many, mostly by shrapnel. It was
reported that a 13 year-old girl was killed by a sniper and a 10
year-old boy was killed by shrapnel. The bombardment from the
surrounding mountains reportedly diminished somewhat in the
morning compared with Sunday, and then intensified during the
afternoon. *2234
Peter Kessler, a UNHCR spokesman in Sarajevo said that
BiH army tanks were firing from under a bridge in the suburb of
Stup and that fighting had closed the airport road. «It sounds
like the Battle of the Bulge out there», Kessler said.
Correspondents who visited the area said the Serbs appeared to
have made advances enabling them to fire directly on the western
approaches to the city, making it more difficult to resupply BiH
positions. At least three fires were burning along the line of
confrontation as Serb forces tried to drive the BiH defenders
east across the airport highway. *2235
A fierce tank battle raged in the western approaches to
the city and BiH radio reported that 18 children were wounded and
one killed when a shell hit their school. *2236
(b) Local reported events
UN Commander, Colonel Marcel Valentin, blamed the Serbs
for the prior day's shelling on civilians. After nearly 2,400
shells were recorded and eight people were killed on Sunday,
Valentin called on the Serbs to account for their shelling of
civilian targets. He said that it was «quite obvious» that the
Serbs were trying to gain territory before signing a peace
agreement being negotiated in New York. *2237
(c) International reported events
23. 23/3/93 (Tuesday)
(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 11 killed
and 96 wounded on this day. *2239
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
No reported incidents.
(b) International reported events
24. 24/3/93 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- Intense Serb shelling was reported
on this, the final day of Ramadan. The end of Ramadan, reportedly
at 6:20 a.m., was marked by a hail of gunfire from the BiH side.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- The area in front of the Bristol Hotel (on the road
to the airport).
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Description of Damage :
- A mortar exploded in front of the Bristol
Hotel on the road to the airport, killing three people and
wounding five.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- One report stated that four people were killed and
14 injured by Serb shelling, (including three people killed and
five wounded at the Bristol Hotel). The BiH Public Health
Ministry reported two killed and 23 wounded on this day. *2244
Source(s): Agence France Presse; BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Four people were killed and 14 injured by Serb shelling
of Sarajevo on the final day of Ramadan. A mortar exploded in
front of the Bristol Hotel on the road to the airport, killing
three people and wounding five. Serb fire was reportedly intense.
The end of Ramadan, at 6:20 a.m, was marked by a hail of gunfire
from the BiH side. *2245
(b) International reported events
25. 25/3/93 (Thursday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The French UNPROFOR command post
reportedly came under automatic weapons fire from Dobrinja.
Cedric Thornberry, deputy head of UNPROFOR in the former
Yugoslavia said that shelling in the Sarajevo siege during the
first 11 months had been relatively light («not much more than
four an hour») compared to between 1,000 and 2,000 impacts a day
over the past week. *2249
Source(s): Reuters; Agence France
Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Hospital sources said that two people died and 11
were wounded in Sarajevo. *2250 The BiH Public Health Ministry
reported three killed and 20 wounded on this day. *2251
Source(s): Agence France Presse; BiH Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
A French UN command post in the city came under
automatic weapons fire and two UN troops were slightly wounded by
flying glass. The firing came from the Serb-held district of
Dobrinja (the former Olympic village near the airport). *2252
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
In New York, a member of the BiH delegation to the UN
sponsored peace talks said that President Alija Izetbegovic was
prepared to sign the Vance-Owen peace plan, which was drawn up in
Geneva but signed only by Croat representatives. For the first
time since January all three parties agreed to sit at the same
table and were scheduled to meet with mediators Vance and Owen.
*2254
BiH President Izetbegovic signed the Vance-Owen maps,
the third and final section of the plan. This made the Bosnian
Serbs the last hold-outs to the plan. Vance Owen spokesman Fred
Eckhard stated that Bosnian Serb leader Karadzic had «reserved
his position». *2255
BiH Vice President Ejup Ganic called on the
international community to lift the arms embargo on BiH imposed
when it still formed part of Yugoslavia, saying that the move was
the only alternative to a military intervention to end Serb
aggression. «The international community can halt it, if it has
the will», he told a conference in Sarajevo. The only solution to
the conflict was «to give arms to the Bosnians or to launch a
rapid intervention, though such a move is unlikely». He said that
Sarajevo authorities had written to the UN Security Council, to
Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali, to Geneva mediators Cyrus Vance
and Lord Owen, and to the US and Russian envoys urging that the
arms embargo be lifted. *2256
26. 26/3/93 (Friday)
(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 16 wounded
on this day. No deaths were reported. *2257
Source(s): BiH
Ministry of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
No reported incidents.
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
President Clinton invited BiH President Izetbegovic to
the White House to join in discussions with German Chancellor
Kohl. Clinton said that he would wait several days before Serbian
behaviour would force him to «up the ante». EC officials stated
that the Serbs would suffer «total isolation» if they did not
sign the Vance-Owen plan. *2260
27. 27/3/93 (Saturday)
(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 two killed
and six wounded on this day. *2261
Source(s): BiH Ministry of
Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
No reported incidents.
(b) Local reported events
BiH's three warring factions said that they were
prepared for a cease-fire to begin at noon on Sunday. The head of
the Bosnian Serb Army, General Ratko Mladic, said he would
observe the truce and the commander of the UN troops in BiH,
General Phillipe Morillon, said Bosnian Muslims and Croats would
also comply. Morillon said he had assurances from BiH's Muslim
Vice-President, Ejup Ganic and Croat leader Mate Boban. «I have
already received agreements from Dr. Ganic in Sarajevo and Mr.
Boban for them to give the same directives to their own forces»,
Morillon said, adding that it could take some time before orders
reached field units. The deal was struck after talks in Belgrade
attended by Morillon, Mladic and the head of UNPROFOR in the
former Yugoslavia, General Lars-Eric Wahlgren. Wahlgren said he
would chair a meeting of the chiefs of the three armies at
Sarajevo airport on 6 April to discuss how best to stop the
fighting. *2262
The announcement of the cease-fire came as Bosnian Serb
leader Karadzic arrived in Belgrade and threatened to pull out of
the internationally-mediated peace talks in BiH. Karadzic told
reporters: «First they satisfied the Croats, then the Muslims.
Now they have to satisfy the Serbs». Karadzic had rejected the UN
sponsored plan to split BiH into 10 semi-autonomous regions. The
deal had been accepted by BiH's Muslims and Croats. International
pressure mounted on the Bosnian Serbs not to hold out against the
proposals, as President Clinton said he would give the Serbs a
few more days before considering more stringent actions to bring
them into line. Karadzic responded: «It doesn't matter. Pressure
can only unify the Serbian people». *2263
Bosnian Serb forces turned back UN relief vehicles from
Srebrenica. *2264
(c) International reported events
28. 28/3/93 (Sunday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The area near the Presidency
building was shelled five minutes before a cease-fire took effect
at noon.
Source(s): Washington Post; New York Times; Reuters.
- Targets Hit :
- The area near the Presidency building (three shells
hit five minutes before noon).
Source(s): Washington Post; New
York Times; Reuters.
- Description of Damage :
- Five minutes before noon, three shells
fell near the Presidency building, killing a woman and injuring
four other people. Other reports indicated that three people were
killed and five others wounded in this incident.
Source(s):
Washington Post; New York Times; Reuters.
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Three shells fell near the Presidency building,
killing a woman and injuring four other people. Other reports
indicated that three people were killed and five others wounded
in this incident. The BiH Public Health Ministry reported two
wounded. It reported no deaths. *2266 It also reported to
date: 8,565 killed, missing, or dead (of which 1,304 were
children); 50,106 wounded (of which 12,932 were children); and
15,759 heavily wounded (of which 2,519 were children). *2267
Source(s): Washington Post; New York Times; Reuters; BiH Ministry
of Public Health.
- Narrative of Events :
-
Five minutes before the noontime start of the UN-
brokered truce, three shells fell near the Presidency building
downtown, killing a woman and injuring four other people, two
seriously. *2268 Other reports on the incident stated that three
people were killed and five wounded. *2269
(b) Local reported events
BiH President Alija Izetbegovic said that he and
Croatian President Franjo Tudjman had agreed to set up a joint
Croat and Muslim army in BiH. Izetbegovic also extended slightly
his deadline for the Bosnian Serbs to sign a peace plan which the
Muslims and the Croats had already accepted. He said that if the
Bosnian Serbs did not sign within 10 to 15 days, his own
signature would be invalid. On Saturday evening Izetbegovic had
given a time limit of eight to 10 days. *2270
The cease-fire agreed to by the military leaders of the
warring factions began at noon and appeared to be holding as
night fell. The UN commander in BiH, General Phillipe Morillon,
who helped to negotiate the cease-fire, was quoted by
Yugoslavia's Tanjug news agency as saying he was pleased with the
compliance so far. *2271
A 20 truck UN convoy reached Srebrenica after 13 days
of unsuccessful attempts. It brought over 200 tons of relief
supplies. UN BiH Commander Morillon returned to Sarajevo after
his two-week stay in
Srebrenica. *2272
29. 29/3/93 (Monday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The cease-fire held for a second
day, but heavy gunfire broke out shortly before dusk in the
western districts close to the airport. In its weekly summary
UNPROFOR reported intense fighting continuing from the previous
week. After Sunday, 21 March's record number of reported indirect
fire (2,398 rounds), and apparently intensifying combat activity,
strong Serb attacks with heavy artillery support continued on 22
March concentrating on Stup, Otes, Vratnik and Hrasno-Grbavica.
UNPROFOR stated that the Serb objective, the Stup Bridge,
appeared to be within their grasp. The level of intensity in the
fighting dropped dramatically for the remainder of the reporting
period commencing 23 March with sporadic indirect fire and
continued small-arms fire. The use of anti-aircraft artillery
continued to be employed by BiH forces in a direct fire role. The
level of indirect fire dropped from the record 2,398 rounds at
the end of the previous Sunday to no rounds reported on Friday 26
March. UNPROFOR commented that the forced evacuation of
Observation Post P5 restricted their ability to accurately report
incoming indirect fire. Nevertheless, the reduced fire and combat
activity was evident. UNPROFOR thought it likely that the
combatants, particularly the Serbs, had temporarily exhausted
themselves and it was also reported that they took heavy
casualties, including armoured assets. The deteriorating weather
conditions were also seen as contributory. *2273
Source(s):
UNPROFOR.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
The cease-fire held for the second day with only minor
violations. *2274
Heavy gunfire broke out shortly before dusk in the
contested western districts of Sarajevo, close to the airport.
*2275
(b) Local reported events
(c) International reported events
30. 30/3/93 (Tuesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- The cease-fire reportedly was still
holding, with a number of violations during the day.
Source(s):
Agence France Presse.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Four people were reportedly wounded by sniper
fire.
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Casualties :
- Two people were killed near Sarajevo airport as they
tried to head across the town toward Kiseljak, and four others
were wounded by Serb sniper-fire, hospital sources said. *2283
Source(s): Agence France Presse.
- Narrative of Events :
-
While the cease-fire held, officials described it as
tenuous, with a number of violations reported during the day.
*2284
Two people were killed near Sarajevo airport as they
tried to head across the town toward Kiseljak, and four others
were wounded by Serb sniper-fire, hospital sources said. *2285
(b) Local reported events
Because of the cease-fire, thousands of residents
emerged from their homes and hiding places to walk through the
streets. *2286
In Sarajevo, two Serb soldiers were sentenced to death
by a military tribunal for genocide, including murders and rapes
considered part of the Serbs' policy of driving Muslims out of
their villages in BiH. The two were Borislav Herak, 22 who
confessed to killing 23 people and raping 15 women, and Sretko
Damjanovic, who pleaded innocent to charges of killing four
people and raping two women. *2287
The Times of London quoted Bosnian Serb leaders as
saying that the Vance-Owen plan was not satisfactory because
Muslims and Croats received most of BiH's natural and industrial
resources. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vitaly Churkin
reportedly went to Belgrade to meet with Serb officials to
support the Vance-Owen plan. *2288
(c) International reported events
31. 31/3/93 (Wednesday)
(a) Military activity
- Combat and Shelling Activity :
- In its monthly operational report,
UNPROFOR characterized March as alternating between tense days
(at the beginning of the month and between 16 and 22 March) and
periods of calm. Tops of registered rounds were reached with
2,400 «all nature impacts» on 21 March and a low of zero impacts
on 28 March. UNPROFOR commented that it should be kept in mind
that the evacuation of a very well situated observer's post, due
to shelling, had considerably decreased its ability to observe
activities. UNPROFOR noted that at last a cease-fire seemed to
have been respected at the end of the month, but that this was
perhaps due to the snow that had submerged
Sarajevo. *2290
Source(s): UNPROFOR.
- Targets Hit :
- Not specified
- Description of Damage :
- Not specified
- Sniping Activity :
- Not specified
- Casualties :
- Not specified
- Narrative of Events :
-
No incidents reported.
(b) Local reported events
UNPROFOR reported that decisions to cancel airlifts and
difficulties on the roads due to the snow made Sarajevo an
isolated city. UNPROFOR reported that 41 utility repair missions
had been completed and 12 canceled (eight for safety reasons and
four for technical reasons). UNPROFOR also reported 16,000
airport crossing attempts, with a low of 18 attempts on 17-18
March and a high of 1,071 on 27-28 March. *2291
Vitaly Churkin, Russian representative in the
negotiating process on BiH arrived in Pale in the company of
Gennadiy Shikin, Russian Ambassador to
Yugoslavia. Immediately upon their arrival, they met with:
Radovan Karadzic; the President of the National Assembly, Momcilo
Krajisnik; and the Vice President of the Serb Republic, Dr.
Nikola Koljevic. The main topic of the meeting was the resumption
of peace negotiations. *2292
(c) International reported events
UN Security Council Resolution 816 authorized NATO
troops to begin military enforcement of the no-fly zone on 7
April. The resolution did not provide for the bombing of ground
targets. Bosnia Serb leader Karadzic threatened to drop out of
the negotiations if the no-fly zone was
enforced. *2293
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