Reports of legitimate Muslim column combat losses. There are numerous statements by survivors of the BiH Army 28th Division column which conducted the armed breakout from the Srebrenica enclave in July 1995 and engaged in combat clashes with Serbian forces which confirm the resulting casualties sustained by the column. Such casualties are legitimate combat losses. They are distinct from the execution of war prisoners and do not incur criminal liability. The referenced ICTY archival document includes witness statements by column survivors on the extent of these legitimate losses. For a proper investigation of Srebrenica prisoner executions, legitimate combat losses during the period of July 11 to July 16, 1995, must be distinguished from unlawful killings. While the reports of survivors summarized below are clearly impressionistic and not a precise tally, they reflect the observers’ perception of huge casualties sustained by the 10,000 to 15,000 strong armed column which conducted the breakout maneuver from Srebrenica. In ICTY judgments, those casualties are not distinguished from execution victims and they are regularly minimized. There is legitimate concern that their mortal remains are simply added to those of the execution victims in order to vastly inflate the latter’s number. Witness statements focusing specifically on column casualties are set forth below in accessible form.
Jasarevic, Fehim #92 12/7/95: Kamenica, evening; Serbs opened fire, estimates about 5000 were killed
Jusufovic, Azim #93 13/7/95: Kamenica, saw about 300 killed in Serb shelling
Muhic, Azem # 97 12/7/95: about 3500 dead as a result of Serb shelling in Kamenica area
Mustafic, Idriz #100 12/7/95: at 0900 hrs Serbs attack at Buljim, saw 60-80 bodies 13/7/95: after 10,000 strong column arrived in Konjevic Polje [counted before and after crossing road] column crossed river [name unknown] in which “many drowned” because crossing was at night
Ridzic, Ramo #101 11/7/95: First column of 1000, many of whom were armed, ambushed in Buljim-Nova Casaba area and as a result of Serb attack about 700 were killed
Salihovic, Jusuf #102 Around 13/7/95: near Baljkovica saw about 100 bodies, another 50 in a brook
Salihovic, Safedin #103 11 or 12/7/95: while column was crossing Konjevic Polje road at least 500—600 were killed
Sinanovic, Sabrija #106 No date: at Baljkovica, about 100 were killed and 100 wounded in shelling
Stocevic, Mirza #109 11 or 12/7/95: At Buljin, Moslem column attacked, witness was at head of the column and did not see how many but was told by others “victims were in the hundreds”
Suljic, Mevludin #110 12/7/95: Konjevic Polje road ambush—400—500 killed
Orlovic, Sahin #129 12/7/95: Siljkovici—Kamenica Serb attack: “many dead” 13/7/95: Saw “hundreds dead and wounded” near Siljkovac river
Basic, Adem #67 12/7/95: near Kamenica, in a Serb ambush “hundreds were killed” and still more wounded; about 2 hrs later, as a result of Serb shelling approximately 100 were killed; later in Kamenica area came across about 1500 dead
Basic, Husejn #68 13/7/95: ambushed by Serbs, about 1000 killed that day
Cosic, Muharem #72 13/7/95: ambushed at Jadar, 500—600 killed 14/7/95: in ambush at Baljkovica, 150 killed
Dautovic, Osmo #74 No dates: at Buljim, “hundreds” killed in ambush
July 1995 Srebrenica witness statements about 28th Division column casualties