The Crime That Forced NATO to React: Remembering the Murdered Sarajevans in the Markale Market Massacre

(Patria) - The commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the murder of Sarajevo citizens in the massacre near the City Market will be held on Wednesday, August 28, at 11:00 AM.

Flowers will be laid at the site of the massacre at Mula-Mustafe Bašeskije street, number 64 (north entrance to the City Market), in memory of the 43 murdered Sarajevans.

The massacre occurred 29 years ago, when 84 other people were seriously injured.

On that fateful day, 43 Sarajevans were killed by a mortar shell fired from the direction of Trebević, which exploded near the north entrance to the city market: Omer Ajanović, Hidajet Alić, Salko Alić, Zeno Bašević, Husein Baktašević, Sevda Brkan-Kruščica, Vera Brutus-Đukić, Halida Cepić, Paša Crnčalo, Mejra Cocalić, Razija Čolić, Esad Čoranbegić, Dario Dlouhi, Salko Duraković, Alija Dževlan, Najla Fazlić, Rijad Garbo, Ibrahim Hajvaz, Meho Herceglija, Jasmina Hodžić, Hajrudin Hozo, Jusuf Hašimbegović, Adnan Ibrahimagić, Ilija Karanović, Mesudija Kerović, Vehid Komar, Muhamed Kukić, Mirsad Kovačević, Hašim Kurtović, Ismet Klarić, Masija Lončar, Osman Mahmutović, Senad Muratović, Goran Poturković, Blaženka Smoljan, Hamid Smajlhodžić, Hajro Šatrović, Samir Topuzović, Hamza Tunović, Ajdin Vukotić, Sabaheta Vukotić, Meho Zećo and Narima Žiga.

The central city market, during the siege, was one of the few places where it was possible to obtain food. Thus, on that August 28, 1995, Markale was a place that meant survival for many. At 11 AM, five powerful explosions were heard, and Markale met a bitter fate.

Following the massacre near the City Market, the first NATO military intervention ensued.

During those years, 11,541 Sarajevans were killed in the city, including 1,601 children.

Sarajevo was almost continuously shelled, with an average of about 329 shells falling on Sarajevo daily. The city also holds one of the saddest records in history – on July 22, 1993, a total of 3,777 shells were fired at Sarajevo.

The Serbian side never took responsibility for the massacre that occurred on August 28, 1995, nor has anyone been held accountable for it.

During the commemoration of this sad anniversary, traffic will be temporarily suspended in Mula-Mustafe Bašeskije street, number 64, from 10:55 AM to 11:25 AM, as announced by the Protocol and Press Service of the KS.