NATO bombing of Albanian refugees near Gjakova

NATO bombing of Albanian refugees near Đakovica
NATO bombing of Albanian refugees near Đakovica
Part of the Kosovo War
Location	near Đakovica (Gjakova), Kosovo and Metohija, FR Yugoslavia
Target	Unknown
Date	14 April 1999; 13:30 hrs (CET)
Executed by	NATO
Casualties	73 killed; 36 injured

The Bombing of Albanian refugees near Gjakova occurred on 14 April 1999 during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, when NATO planes bombed refugees on a twelve-mile stretch of road between the towns of Gjakova (Đakovica) and Deçan (Dečani) in western Kosovo and Metohija, FR Yugoslavia (now Kosovo^{[note 1]}) 73 Kosovo Albanian civilians were killed.^[1]^[2]^[3] Among the victims were 16 children.

NATO response[]

NATO and the United States initially claimed that the target was exclusively a military convoy and that Yugoslav forces may have been responsible for any attacks on civilians, stating "after the convoy was hit, military people got out and attacked civilians." However, two days later, NATO acknowledged that its aircraft had bombed civilian vehicles, claiming this to be by mistake. Reporters from the American media went to the scene that same day and interviewed survivors and saw damaged farm tractors, burned bodies identified as refugees, bomb craters and shrapnel. Initially, NATO said its aircraft had targeted military vehicles, then reported that an American F-16 pilot had fired on what he thought to be military trucks. NATO expressed "deep regret." Tanjug reported that three Serbian policemen were also killed in the attack.^[4]

Notes[]

^ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on 17 February 2008. Serbia continues to claim it as a part of its own sovereign territory. The two governments began to normalise relations in 2013, as part of the 2013 Brussels Agreement. Kosovo is currently recognised as an independent state by 97 out of the 193 United Nations member states. In total, 112 UN member states have recognised Kosovo at some point, of which 15 states later withdrew their recognition.

References[]

^ Bacevich & Cohen (2001), p. 15
^ "NATO strives to end split over Libya command". al Jazeera. 24 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
^ Julie Hyland (14 February 2000). "Human Rights Watch says NATO killed over 500 civilians in air war against Yugoslavia". World Socialist Website. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
^ "The Crisis in Kosovo". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 13 March 2013.

Books[]

Bacevich & Cohen, Andrew J., Elliot A. (2001). War Over Kosovo: Politics and Strategy in a Global Age. Columbia University Press. Retrieved 13 March 2013. War Over Kosovo: Politics and Strategy in a Global Age.

External links[]

Confusion over refugee bombings (BBC)

[Kosovo-1] Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on 17 February 2008. Serbia continues to claim it as a part of its own sovereign territory. The two governments began to normalise relations in 2013, as part of the 2013 Brussels Agreement. Kosovo is currently recognised as an independent state by 97 out of the 193 United Nations member states. In total, 112 UN member states have recognised Kosovo at some point, of which 15 states later withdrew their recognition.

[2] Bacevich & Cohen (2001), p. 15

[3] "NATO strives to end split over Libya command". al Jazeera. 24 March 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2013.

[4] Julie Hyland (14 February 2000). "Human Rights Watch says NATO killed over 500 civilians in air war against Yugoslavia". World Socialist Website. Retrieved 13 March 2013.

[5] "The Crisis in Kosovo". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 13 March 2013.

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