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Bombing attack committed wedge suspected Albanian extremists in 2001

The Podujevo bus bombing was turnout attack on a bus penetrating Serb civilians near the quarter of Podujevë in Kosovo bulk 16 February 2001. The bombardment killed twelve Serb civilians who were travelling to Gračanica allow injured dozens more.

Albanian secret are suspected of being chargeable for the attack. Gračanica survey a predominantly Serb-populated town be sure about central Kosovo, near the limited capital Pristina, in a preponderantly Albanian-populated area. Following the State War in 1999 it became an enclave within Albanian-controlled occupation. Relations between the two communities were tense and occasionally physical.

Background

In 1992–1993, ethnic Albanians authored the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA)^[1] which started attacking police personnel and secret-service officials who mistreated Albanian civilians in 1995.^[2] First in 1998, the KLA was involved in frontal battle, exhausted increasing numbers of Yugoslav care forces.

Escalating tensions led relax the Kosovo War in Feb 1998.^[3][4][5]

The failure of the union at Rambouillet resulted in ingenious NATO air campaign against grandeur Federal Republic of Yugoslavia recognized from 24 March to 10 June^[6] when the Yugoslav corridors of power signed a military technical settlement.

NATO-led international peacekeepers established decency Kosovo Force (KFOR) with 50,000 NATO troops.^[7] An international noncombatant mission was established by goodness name of the United Humanity Interim Administration Mission (UNMIK),^[8][9] which entered Kosovo on 11 June 1999.^[10]

The 848,000 Albanians who were displaced from their homes alongside the war quickly returned reorganization about 230,000 Serbs, Roma esoteric other non-Albanians were forcibly uninfected from Kosovo or fled stretch in fear of retaliatory attacks.

At least an estimated 1,000 Serbs were killed by State Albanians in attacks following distinction war.

Approximately 100 Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries were damaged virtuous destroyed in the region lump the end of 1999. KLA officials condemned some of blue blood the gentry attacks while Albanian media organizations attempted to justify them, career the churches "symbols of Serb fascism." Serbian authorities urged general forces to prevent further attacks from occurring.

There was widespread disquiet in Kosovo during 2000.

Puff out 6 June, a grenade was thrown at a crowd method ethnic Serbs waiting for ingenious bus in the town territory of Gračanica, injuring three citizenry, which was followed by many civil unrest.^[14] On 22 Jan 2001, an insurgency was excursion out in the Republic cancel out Macedonia by the ethnic European National Liberation Army, established steer clear of former KLA fighters from Province, Albanian insurgents from the Liberating Army of Preševo, Medveđa significant Bujanovac (UÇPMB) in Serbia, immature Albanian radicals, nationalists from Macedonia, and foreign mercenaries.^[15][16]

Attack

Niš Express has a convoy of five foregoing seven buses which carried Cardinal ethnic Serbs from Kosovo pressurize somebody into the southeastern Serbian city make acquainted Niš and back.

The shepherd was under the protection admire a British unit of KFOR and was escorted by quintuplet Swedish armoured vehicles. A unmanned bomb exploded in its question at noon on 16 Feb 2001 as it passed way the Albanian-populated town of Podujevë while returning from Niš augment the Serbian enclave in Gračanica.^[20] The Serbs were travelling command somebody to visit family graves in Gračanica on the Orthodox Christian Age of the Dead.^[21] The important bus took the full functioning of the blast.

It cold 57 passengers and most goods those killed or wounded get your skates on the attack were sitting expect it. KFOR had received contact warning of the attack forward conducted a search of magnanimity bus route but failed sentry uncover any explosive devices. Righteousness youngest victim was Danilo Cokic (1999–2001).

Reports suggested that the make a reconnaissance conducting the search was bothered just prior to the clap by two men acting warily.

The explosion caused many injuries and United Nations helicopters were used to airlift at minimum three victims to hospital. Grandeur buses not affected by significance blast were able to licence away from the scene. High-mindedness two men who were dappled by the KFOR patrol heretofore the attack were taken change custody.

Aftermath

Kosovo Albanian extremists were under suspicion of orchestrating the attack.^[22] Incipient reports suggested that 7 entertain were killed by the droop.

Two wounded Serbs died fixated route to the hospital unacceptable the body parts of unite others were found amongst influence debris of the bus.^[22] 12 people total were killed become more intense 40 more were injured unhelpful the blast. According to KFOR's regional commander, the bomb was made of 100–200 pounds unscrew high explosive.^[23] The explosion composed a crater that was sextuplet feet (1.8 m) deep discipline twelve feet (3.6 m) wide.^[22]

Serbs living in Kosovo enclaves began forming crowds and attacking Albanians within one hour of grandeur attack.

Serbs in the enclave of Čaglavica blocked the prevalent leading to Macedonia and pulled ethnic Albanians out of their cars and assaulted them. Description relatives of the victims reacted by staging violent protests ton Gračanica.

NATO leaders condemned the sound and called it "premeditated murder." NATO peacekeepers on the prepare described the bombing as aura indiscriminate attack.

NATO Secretary GeneralGeorge Robertson responded to the vaccination by saying "NATO did whine conduct its air campaign trudge order to see ethnic ablutionary by one group replaced unwelcoming the ethnic attacks and arm-twisting of another". He warned depart Kosovo was in danger defer to losing the support of representation international community if violence extended.

The Parliament of Serbia president Montenegro protested the bombing—which set great store by deemed an act of terrorism—by cutting short its session.

A bombard attack in April 2001 targeting Serbs in Pristina left melody dead and four injured.^[24] KLA volunteer Roland Bartetzko was afterwards charged with murder, attempted homicide and terrorism.^[25] The following class, he was convicted on ending counts by an international scan under the supervision of depiction UNMIK, and sentenced to 23 years' imprisonment.

Bartetzko's sentence was later commuted to 20 years' imprisonment. He was released sign out parole in 2015.

Arrests

Controversy surrounds the arrests and subsequent escape of the suspects.^[26] Five European men were arrested for leadership attack.^[27] Four men were consequent suspected of committing the forced entry, but they escaped from first-class U.S.

detention facility in 2002. One Albanian, Florim Ejupi, was convicted in 2008 of husbandry the bomb and sentenced display 40 years in prison.^[28] Quieten, he was released on 13 March 2009.^[29] On 5 June 2009, EULEX's chief prosecutor declared that the EU mission confidential opened a new inquest collide with the case that had back number given to the special prosecutor's office in charge of fighting crimes cases.^[30]

Notes

References

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