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{{update|date=January 2017}}
The '''Bela Crkva massacre''' was the mass-killing of ] villagers from ], ] by Serb armed forces on 24-25 March 1999.
{{Infobox civilian attack
| title = Bela Crkva massacre
| location = ]
| date = March 25, 1999
| partof = ]
| native_name = Masakra e Bellacërkës
| target = ]
| fatalities = 62
| perpetrator = ]
}}
⚫ The '''Bela Crkva massacre''' ({{langx|sq|Masakra e Bellacërkës}}) was the mass-killing of ] villagers from ], ] by ] armed forces on 24–25 March 1999. Twelve hours after NATO had started bombing strategic Yugoslav targets, Yugoslav armed forces came to the area around Bela Crkva, fired artillery, and set fire to the village.{{Campaignbox Kosovo War}}Villagers fled to the river bank and some hid under a bridge. Yugoslav forces found the villagers and divided them into two groups; men and women. ("Men" includes boys aged twelve and above). The men were stripped; their money, valuables, and documents taken; then they were executed. A smaller number of women were killed too. The youngest was four years old.<ref name=BBC>{{cite news|last=Voss|title=Massacre victims buried|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/386580.stm|accessdate=4 July 2012|date=6 July 1999|work=BBC News}}</ref>


The massacre has been taken as evidence that the Serb government planned ethnic cleansing of Kosovo long before the ].<ref name=Independent>{{cite news|last=Tanner|title=War in the Balkans: The day the men of Bela Crkva died|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/war-in-the-balkans-the-day-the-men-of-bela-crkva-died-1088382.html|accessdate=4 July 2012|newspaper=]|date=20 April 1999}}</ref> Twelve hours after NATO had started bombing strategic Serb targets, Serb armed forces came to the area around Bela Crkva, fired artillery, and set fire to the village. {{quotation|I was lucky. I was in front of the group. I was shot in the shoulder and flew into the stream, where I pretended to be dead. About 20 dead bodies fell on top of me. They then shot into the pile of bodies to be sure they were dead. They shot people one by one, but I didn't get shot because they didn't see me.<ref name=Independent>{{cite news|last=Tanner|title=War in the Balkans: The day the men of Bela Crkva died|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/war-in-the-balkans-the-day-the-men-of-bela-crkva-died-1088382.html|accessdate=4 July 2012|newspaper=]|date=20 April 1999|location=London}}</ref>}}


⚫ 62 villagers were killed in the massacre.<ref>{{cite web |title=Balkan Witness: News and Progressive Perspectives on the Yugoslav Wars |url=http://citycellar.com/BalkanWitness/kcc27.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010307082826/http://citycellar.com/BalkanWitness/kcc27.htm |archive-date=7 March 2001 |access-date=17 March 2018 |website=citycellar.com}}</ref> The British Foreign Secretary at the time, ], said, "these children cannot conceivably have been a danger to anyone, but the Serb forces clearly saw every Albanian of whatever age as an enemy."<ref name=BBC />
⚫ Villagers fled to the river bank and some hid under a bridge. Serb forces found the villagers and divided them into two groups; men and women. ("Men" includes boys aged twelve and above). The men were stripped; their money, valuables, and documents taken; then they were executed. A smaller number of women were killed too. The youngest was four years old.<ref name=BBC>{{cite news|last=Voss|title=Massacre victims buried|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/386580.stm|accessdate=4 July 2012|date=6 July 1999}}</ref>


⚫ ] suggests that there were similar mass killings in other villages in the district, including ], ], and ]. However, eyewitnesses are rare, partly due to the efficient and systematic nature of the killings.<ref>{{cite book|title=Congressional Record, V. 145, Pt. 6|year=1999|pages=8111}}</ref>
{{quotation|I was lucky. I was in front of the group. I was shot in the shoulder and flew into the stream, where I pretended to be dead. About 20 dead bodies fell on top of me. They then shot into the pile of bodies to be sure they were dead. They shot people one by one, but I didn't get shot because they didn't see me.<ref name=Independent />}}

⚫ 58 villagers were killed in the massacre.<ref>{{cite web| publisher= The New York Times| url= http://partners.nytimes.com/library/world/europe/050399kosovo-massacre.html| author= Anthony DePalma| title= Survivor Tells of Massacre at Kosovo Village| date= 3 May 1999| accessdate= 19 February 2013}}</ref> The British Foreign Secretary at the time, ], said, "these children cannot conceivably have been a danger to anyone, but the Serb forces clearly saw every Albanian of whatever age as an enemy."<ref name=BBC />

⚫ ] suggests that there were similar mass killings in other villages in the district, including ], ], and ].<ref>http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/Kosovo/Kosovo-Current_News70.html</ref> However, eyewitnesses are rare, partly due to the efficient and systematic nature of the killings.<ref>{{cite book|title=Congressional Record, V. 145, Pt. 6|year=1999|pages=8111}}</ref>


==References== ==References==
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⚫ ]
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{{coord|42|21|N|20|35|E|display=title}}
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Latest revision as of 19:03, 12 November 2024

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (January 2017)
Bela Crkva massacre
Part of Kosovo War
Native nameMasakra e Bellacërkës
LocationBellacërkë
DateMarch 25, 1999
TargetKosovo Albanians
Deaths62
PerpetratorYugoslav army

The Bela Crkva massacre (Albanian: Masakra e Bellacërkës) was the mass-killing of Kosovo Albanian villagers from Bellacërkë, Kosovo by Yugoslav armed forces on 24–25 March 1999. Twelve hours after NATO had started bombing strategic Yugoslav targets, Yugoslav armed forces came to the area around Bela Crkva, fired artillery, and set fire to the village.

Kosovo War
Prelude

Wartime events

Aftermath

Aspects

Villagers fled to the river bank and some hid under a bridge. Yugoslav forces found the villagers and divided them into two groups; men and women. ("Men" includes boys aged twelve and above). The men were stripped; their money, valuables, and documents taken; then they were executed. A smaller number of women were killed too. The youngest was four years old.

I was lucky. I was in front of the group. I was shot in the shoulder and flew into the stream, where I pretended to be dead. About 20 dead bodies fell on top of me. They then shot into the pile of bodies to be sure they were dead. They shot people one by one, but I didn't get shot because they didn't see me.

62 villagers were killed in the massacre. The British Foreign Secretary at the time, Robin Cook, said, "these children cannot conceivably have been a danger to anyone, but the Serb forces clearly saw every Albanian of whatever age as an enemy."

Human Rights Watch suggests that there were similar mass killings in other villages in the district, including Mala Kruša, Celina, and Piranë. However, eyewitnesses are rare, partly due to the efficient and systematic nature of the killings.

References

  1. ^ Voss (6 July 1999). "Massacre victims buried". BBC News. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  2. Tanner (20 April 1999). "War in the Balkans: The day the men of Bela Crkva died". The Independent. London. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  3. "Balkan Witness: News and Progressive Perspectives on the Yugoslav Wars". citycellar.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2001. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  4. Congressional Record, V. 145, Pt. 6. 1999. p. 8111.

See also

42°21′N 20°35′E / 42.350°N 20.583°E / 42.350; 20.583

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