BELGRADE, Serbia

Bosnians gathered on Wednesday to commemorate the 29th anniversary of the 1995 massacre at Sarajevo’s Markale marketplace, where 43 people were killed and nearly 84 were injured. 

The Markale market shelling was one of the deadliest attacks carried out by Bosnian Serb forces during the siege of Sarajevo, which lasted from April 1992 to December 1995.

On August 28, 1995, a 120-millimeter mortar shell fired from Bosnian Serb positions landed in front of Sarajevo's City Market, resulting in 43 deaths and 84 serious injuries.

During a ceremony in the Bosnian capital, family members of the victims, survivors, and politicians gathered to pay tribute, lay wreaths, and pray for the deceased. The event began with the reading of the names of those who lost their lives in the attack.

Survivors and relatives of the victims continue to seek justice for their loved ones.

"What kind of monster could launch a grenade and kill so many people? Even after 29 years, we still ask what has changed. Has justice been served to those who spread death across Sarajevo? Unfortunately, it has not," said Senida Karovic, president of the Union of Civilian War Victims of Sarajevo Canton.

Karovic urged all relevant institutions to fulfill their responsibilities and ensure justice for those responsible for the attack.

Amerisa Omanovic, who was 16 at the time of the attack, recalled her harrowing experience. She went to the market to buy food and had two kilograms of shrapnel removed from her body at the clinical center. Some shrapnel remains lodged in her body.

"That was the moment when my life changed completely. What was once a sunny day turned into darkness and chaos. I was 16 years old when I was wounded. I am one of the youngest victims of this massacre. I was permanently disabled; my leg was amputated, and I survived with two kilograms of shrapnel in my body," Omanovic said.

The prolonged siege of Sarajevo also caused extensive damage to the city's historical and cultural artifacts, as well as its infrastructure. Sarajevo endured daily bombings and mortar attacks by Bosnian Serb forces for 1,425 days, indiscriminately targeting shoppers, people in queues for bread, children playing, and other civilians.

The first attack on the Markale marketplace occurred on February 5, 1994, resulting in 68 deaths and 150 injuries.