Gracanica bus bombing
Encyclopedia
The Podujevo bus bombing was a attack on a civilian bus in a Serb-populated area near the town of Podujevo
in Kosovo
on 16 February 2001 allegedly by ethnic Albanian . Twelve Serb civilians who were on route to the Gračanica monastery
site were killed and dozens more injured.
Gračanica is a predominantly Serb-populated town in central Kosovo, near the regional capital Pristina
, in a predominantly Albanian
-populated area. Following the Kosovo War
in 1999 it became an enclave within Albanian-controlled territory. Relations between the two communities were tense and occasionally violent.
, en route to Gracanica. It was one in a convoy of five buses carrying 250 people from the city of Niš
, escorted by armoured personnel carrier
s from the Swedish
contingent of the KFOR peacekeeping force. According to KFOR's regional commander, the bomb comprised between 100-200 lb of high explosive, detonated using a command wire..
The relief operation and investigation was undertaken by British and Ukrainian peacekeeping units. Six other bombs were discovered and defused nearby. The local KFOR commander, British Brigadier Robert Fry, conferred with both Serbian and Kosovar leaders, and although there were protests in the town following the blast, they were largely peaceful. The blast had angered Serbian officials and the community, who had endured numerous attacks by Kosovar Albanians in recent months. They demanded that the UCPMB stop its attacks, and that KFOR do a better job of monitoring the situation in future.
Five Albanian men were arrested for the attack, but they were not charged with anything. Four men were later suspected of committing the attack, but they escaped from a U.S. detention facility in 2002 and have not since been charged with any crime.
One Albanian, Florim Ejupi, was convicted in 2008 of planting the bomb and sentenced to 40 years in prison. However, he was released on March 13, 2009.
On June 5, 2009, EULEX's chief prosecutor has announced that the EU mission has opened a new inquest into the case that had be given to the special prosecutor's office in charge of war crimes cases.
Podujevo
Podujevo or Podujeva is a town and municipality located in the district of Pristina of north-eastern Kosovo.Podujevo is situated in a strategic position due to a regional motorway and railroad passing through it which links surrounding regions. Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, is located some to...
in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
on 16 February 2001 allegedly by ethnic Albanian . Twelve Serb civilians who were on route to the Gračanica monastery
Gracanica monastery
Gračanica is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Kosovo. It was founded by the Serbian king Stefan Milutin in 1321. Gračanica Monastery was declared Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990, and it is protected by Republic of Serbia, and on 13 July 2006 it was placed on UNESCO's...
site were killed and dozens more injured.
Gračanica is a predominantly Serb-populated town in central Kosovo, near the regional capital Pristina
Pristina
Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
, in a predominantly Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
-populated area. Following the Kosovo War
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
in 1999 it became an enclave within Albanian-controlled territory. Relations between the two communities were tense and occasionally violent.
The attack
On 16 February 2001, a bus carrying Serb civilians on a "commemoration mission" to family graves in Albanian-controlled territory was destroyed by a roadside bomb at a spot near PodujevoPodujevo
Podujevo or Podujeva is a town and municipality located in the district of Pristina of north-eastern Kosovo.Podujevo is situated in a strategic position due to a regional motorway and railroad passing through it which links surrounding regions. Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, is located some to...
, en route to Gracanica. It was one in a convoy of five buses carrying 250 people from the city of Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
, escorted by armoured personnel carrier
Armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
s from the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
contingent of the KFOR peacekeeping force. According to KFOR's regional commander, the bomb comprised between 100-200 lb of high explosive, detonated using a command wire..
Aftermath
Of the 56 passengers on the bus, twelve were killed and all the remainder very seriously injured, along with several bystanders and passengers on other buses who were hit by shrapnel from the blast. The final death toll took some time to establish due to difficulties in identifying the number of bodies. Amongst the dead were the bus staff and two children, as well as several women.The relief operation and investigation was undertaken by British and Ukrainian peacekeeping units. Six other bombs were discovered and defused nearby. The local KFOR commander, British Brigadier Robert Fry, conferred with both Serbian and Kosovar leaders, and although there were protests in the town following the blast, they were largely peaceful. The blast had angered Serbian officials and the community, who had endured numerous attacks by Kosovar Albanians in recent months. They demanded that the UCPMB stop its attacks, and that KFOR do a better job of monitoring the situation in future.
Five Albanian men were arrested for the attack, but they were not charged with anything. Four men were later suspected of committing the attack, but they escaped from a U.S. detention facility in 2002 and have not since been charged with any crime.
One Albanian, Florim Ejupi, was convicted in 2008 of planting the bomb and sentenced to 40 years in prison. However, he was released on March 13, 2009.
On June 5, 2009, EULEX's chief prosecutor has announced that the EU mission has opened a new inquest into the case that had be given to the special prosecutor's office in charge of war crimes cases.