Prebilovci massacre

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The Prebilovci Massacre was one of many atrocities perpetrated by the Ustasha regime in the Independent State of Croatia during the world war two persecution and genocide of Serbs. Roughly 650 people, women and children, almost the entire population present at the time in the village of Prebilovci, were slaughtered and thrown into natural pits in Herzegovina, the most infamous being Golubinka near the town of Surmanci, together with other Serbs living in surounding areas. And it was only in 1991 that their remains were extracted from those pits, later to fall victims to the Croats once again.

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[edit] Genocide and Persecution

During the Second World War the inhabitants of Prebilovci fell victim to the Ustaša's Genocide of non-Croats. In august of 1941, some 650 women and children were taken away from their homes, after which they were moved to a place called Surmanci where they were later thrown into natural pits around that area — either dead or half dead according to accounts — together with another thousand Serbs living in the Čapljina and Mostar municipalities. The men were in the mountains, hiding, in belief that the Croats would not harm their women and children.[1]

Althrough, a group of 170 villagers, which primarily consisted of men, survived the massacre. 300 children and infants were massacred that day alone. Few Ustašas who took part in this were ever brought to trial after the War In Yugoslavia had ended.[2] This incident was also the topic in a documentary before the war in Bosnia had erupted.

[edit] See also

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[edit] References

  1. ^ Copley, Gregory. Defense & Foreign Affairs Strategic Policy. Volume XX, Number 12, December 31, 1992. - (English)
  2. ^ Prof. Dr. Vojinovic, Nikola. Srpske Jame u Prebilovcima. Genocid hrvatskih kleroustasa nad Srbima u Hercegovini (1991).