100 bodies exhumed in Bosnia mass graves

Forensic experts have exhumed 100 bodies from six mass graves believed to contain the remains of Bosnian Muslims killed during the 1992-95 war, officials said tonight.

The first grave was found two weeks ago near the edge of the cemetery in the Bosnian Serb town of Zvornik, about 50 miles north-east of Sarajevo. The others were found only yards away from there.

According to survivors, the victims are Muslims killed by Bosnian Serb soldiers between April and June 1992 in and around Zvornik, said Amor Masovic, the head of the Muslim Commission for Missing Persons.

Unlike most mass graves, where bodies were carelessly dumped into a pit, the remains were placed in body bags and lined up in rows. The body bags belonged to the former Yugoslav army, which fought on the Serb side during the conflict.

During the war, about 250,000 people died and nearly 20,000 remain missing presumed dead.

Forensic experts have exhumed 16,500 bodies so far from numerous mass graves across the country, using DNA analysis to identify victims.

Masovic said the search would continue tomorrow, adding without elaboration: “We believe we will find two more mass graves at this site.”