Posted by Sudbin Music on January 19, 2014 in Drustvo

A few tenths of DNA findings related to victims exhumed from the largest mass grave, Tomasica, in the Prijedor area, arrived to the Missing Persons Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina. These are the remains of civilians from surrounding villages:  Bišćani, Sredice, Carakovo, Rizvanovići and Zecovi, confirmed Lajla Cengic, a spokesperson for the Institute.

“We are talking about Bosniak and Croat civilians who were killed in 1992 by the Serb army during the Ethnic Cleansing Campaign.” Says Cengic, “A large number of remains were women.”

Mirsad Duratovic of Biscani lost ten members of immediate family in one day. Among them were: his 15 year old brother, father, grandparents, three uncles, one aunt and two cousins. They were killed July 20, 1992 at home in Biscani (Prijedor).

After 22 years of agony and uncertainty, first DNA results confirming the identities of his two uncles. One of his uncles was survived by a nine-year-old daughter whose mother was, also, killed that day.

“She lives in Germany,” says Duratovic, “I had informed her of the DNA results. Tomasica is a place of death and enormous pain.”

According to Duratovic, some of the bodies were preserved so well, almost to the point of recognition.

“I recognised my grandmother’s body by the clothes she wore,” says Duratovic, “Her body did not fall apart. It’s as if it was coated in some lacquer. It’s as smooth as glass. The green shirt with red flowers she had on, did not fade at all. My grandfather’s body was found buried right next to her’s. I recognised my aunt and uncle by their wedding bands. Their bodies were dug out of a 7 – 12 meter deep hole,” says Duratovic.

So far, 435 victims were dug out of the mass grave, Tomasica, of which 275 were complete bodies.

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