31st anniversary of the massacre near the entrance to the Tunnel of Hope marked: Aggressor's shells killed 10, wounded 11 of our fellow citizens

(Patria) - By laying flowers and paying tribute, a delegation from the Canton of Sarajevo marked the 31st anniversary of the massacre that occurred near the DB "Butmir" facility, at the entrance from the Butmir side.

On this day, May 7, 1995, several shells were fired from the aggressor positions of the Army of Republika Srpska from Kotorac towards the entrance to the Tunnel of Hope, killing 10 of our fellow citizens and seriously and lightly wounding 11.

On that fateful day, the following were killed: Aziz Fejzić, Zdravko Klačar, Bećir Kovačević, Fahrudin Kurtović, Mensur Smajić, Semir Smajić, Salih Smaka, Rasema Subašić, Vahid Šalaka and Staka Šarenac.

"This gathering is a moment of remembrance and an act of respect for the citizens killed here, but also for the over 11,000 citizens of Sarajevo killed during the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The memory of them and the siege of Sarajevo, during which our citizens suffered under impossible conditions, without food, water, electricity, and gas, with constant shelling and sniper fire, remains a permanent reminder of human courage, endurance, and resilience, but also of the horrors we must not forget. However, the culture of remembrance is more than that. It is not just remembering the past, but also learning from the past, so this gathering is also an appeal for the future that this never happens again to anyone," said Mladen Milosavljević, advisor to the Minister of Communal Economy, Infrastructure, Spatial Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection, who laid flowers on behalf of the Canton of Sarajevo.

He added that we must unite in condemning every crime against children and against humanity, and advocate for justice that must be served.

"While remembering the terrible crimes of the past, we must strongly advocate for the values that are the foundation of a just society. The future of Bosnia and Herzegovina must be built on the foundations of peace and mutual respect. This is our moral obligation to every victim, and especially to every child who unjustly lost their life. May our collective memory be a beacon of hope and inspiration for a better future, where every child can grow up safely, in peace and love," said Milosavljević.

Representatives of the Union of Civilian War Victims of KS, as well as representatives of the Municipality of Ilidža, also attended the commemoration of the anniversary of the murder of our fellow citizens.