Kravica attack (1993)

Kravica attack
Part of the Bosnian War
Kravica
Kravica (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Location44°13′N 19°12′E / 44.217°N 19.200°E / 44.217; 19.200
Kravica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Date7 January 1993
TargetBosnian Serb civilians and soldiers
Attack type
attack
Deaths41–48
(30–35 soldiers, 11–13 civilians)
VictimsVRS troops and ethnic Serb civilians
PerpetratorsArmy of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBIH)

The Kravica attack was an attack on the Bosnian Serb village of Kravica by the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) from the Srebrenica enclave on Orthodox Christmas Day, 7 January 1993. The attack was organized to coincide with the Serbian Orthodox Christmas, leaving the Serbs unprepared for any attack. 41-48 people died in the attack on the Serb side: 30-35 soldiers and 11-13 civilians.

The event is still marked by controversy. Republika Srpska claimed that all the homes were systematically torched by Bosniak armed group, but this could not be independently verified during the trial of Naser Orić by the ICTY. Orić was acquitted of the charges relating to the killings, and later acquitted of all charges on appeal.

During the massacre of Serbs in Kravica, one of the members of Naser Orić's unit named Rizo, who participated in the massacre of Serbs, wrote a song about it called "Ko na Božić u Kravicu dođe" ("Who comes to Kravica on Christmas"), in which he insulted the Serbian victims.