Eight Arrested In Bosnian Sweep Against War Crime Suspects

SARAJEVO -- Authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina say they have arrested eight people suspected of involvement in the killing of dozens of people, including women, children and seniors, during the Bosnian War nearly 30 years ago.

The suspects were detained in an operation launched across Bosnia early on December 16, the Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) said in a statement, adding that they will be handed over to prosecutors for questioning.

The agency said the eight were accused of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes against prisoners in 1992.

The case relates to the killings of almost 100 Bosniaks in the area around the southern town of Nevesinje. Many of the victims were women, elderly, children, and babies, according to the Prosecutor's Office.

It said the remains of 49 victims had been recovered so far, while a search is under way for the remains of at least 47 more.

The December 16 arrests are part of a series of similar operations conducted by SIPA in recent weeks.

More than 100,000 people were killed in the 1992-95 Bosnian War, which ended with a U.S.-brokered agreement that divided the country and its administration largely along ethnic lines among Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats.

On December 7, SIPA announced it had arrested five former soldiers for committing crimes against Serbian civilians who were being held during the war.

Four days earlier, seven former members of the Serbian police were arrested for allegedly participating in the killing of 22 Bosniaks, including seven children.

On November 30, SIPA arrested nine people on charges of involvement in crimes against humanity, also related to the Bosnian War.