Former Bosnian Commander Arrested on War Crime Charges

Bosnian police have arrested 12 individuals, including a former Bosnian commander, on suspicion of committing war crimes against hundreds during the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995. The police stated that these individuals are connected to the deaths of hundreds, including civilians and prisoners of war from both Serb and Bosniak Muslim backgrounds. During the Bosnian War, the three ethnic minorities in the country—Serbs, Muslims, and Croats—were in conflict with each other. The twelve individuals, including retired General Atif Dudakovic, were members of a unit that was active in western Bosnia, an area where Bosniak Muslims were also fighting among themselves. The Bosnian Prosecutor's Office announced that all of them were arrested early Friday during police operations in several different cities. General Dudakovic became the commander of the Bosnian Army after the war and was a respected and popular figure. Approximately 100,000 people were killed in the Bosnian War, and around two million, half of the country's population, were displaced. A peace agreement was signed in 1995 in Dayton, Ohio, but tensions between the three ethnic groups in Bosnia continue.