Five Months Since the Terrorist Attack in Bosanska Krupa

In the attack, police officer Ozren Maran, known as Ogi, from Novi Grad lost his life, while his colleague Avdo Hasanović from Bosanska Krupa was severely wounded.

The attacker, 15-year-old Elmir S., has been charged with the attack and, according to ATV's information, was radicalized. He has been sent to a juvenile detention center.

"After the murder of the police officers, investigators discovered messages in which the attacker, Elmir S., stated that the reasons for attacking the police were 'supporting the Zionists, desire for the European Union, killing innocent Muslims, and the murder of Sheikh Jusuf Barčić (leader and founder of the Salafi movement in BiH, who died in a car accident in Tuzla in 2007),” an ATV source revealed.

On October 24, Bosnia and Herzegovina once again made headlines globally due to terrorism, a sensitive topic in the country due to the history of terrorist attacks since the war. This issue has attracted the attention of numerous intelligence and police agencies because of the actions of radical Islamic centers that have been under surveillance for years. However, it is a logical question for any normal country: how could a child carry out an attack on a police station? Unfortunately, it is not a question for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Following this terrorist attack, as the Prosecutor's Office labeled it, the Director of the Police Administration of Una-Sana Canton stated that security agencies were working to clarify the case.

A question that arises is what the intelligence agency was doing before the terrorist attack. These questions have been raised several times by the media and the Intelligence-Security Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but there have been no answers.

These questions go beyond general interest, rather than just media reporting.

Were the activities of radical organizations in Bosanska Krupa under investigation by the Intelligence-Security Agency of BiH?

Did the Intelligence-Security Agency warn the police forces of possible threats in Bosanska Krupa, and did they receive any warnings from other security agencies in the world and region?

Should a new crime be awaited for a systematic fight against terrorism to finally begin, or should citizens continue to live in fear?

These questions are raised because the last terrorist attack has not been fully investigated. To make matters even more concerning, after the arrests of five suspects for aiding and abetting, the court relaxed the restrictions.

Thus, Muharem Bajrić, Hajrudin Šabić, and Dževdet Mujović had their house arrest measures lifted, and they were allowed to move freely within the area of Bosanska Krupa, with periodic reporting to police agencies.

The same restriction was extended to Rijad Nahić and Muhamed Delalić, but their reporting measures were eased, and they are now required to report once a week, instead of twice.

For the suspects Bajrić, Šabić, Mujović, Nahić, and Delalić, it was determined that there are still circumstances that justify the continued application of restrictions on their meetings with certain individuals.

Not the First Terrorist Attack in BiH

The attack in Bosanska Krupa is among several attacks that have been recorded in BiH in recent decades.

Attack in Sarajevo, 2015

In the Sarajevo neighborhood of Rajlovac, Enes Omeragić, a radical Islamist, killed members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Armin Salkić and Nedeljko Radić.

After a siege of the house where Omeragić was hiding, he blew himself up with a bomb. Omeragić had spent some time on the battlefield in Syria prior to the attack.

Attack in Zvornik, 2015

Islamist Nerdin Ibrić attacked a police station in Zvornik. He killed one police officer and wounded two others.

The attacker was killed in an exchange of fire, and this terrorist attack was described as an assault on the Republic of Srpska. Investigations later revealed that Ibrić had been in contact with members of the Wahhabi movement months before the attack.

Attack in Sarajevo, 2011

Mevlid Jašarević carried out an armed attack on the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, firing from automatic weapons. Jašarević was linked to radical Islamist groups.

The attack lasted for half an hour, and Jašarević was subdued by special forces after being shot in the leg. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and investigations showed that he had frequented the known Wahhabi stronghold in Gornja Maoča near Brčko multiple times.

Attack in Bugojno, 2010

In June 2010, a bomb exploded in front of the police station in Bugojno. One police officer was killed, and several people were injured.

The organizer of the attack was Haris Čaušević, a radical Islamist known for his extremist views.

Attack in Vitez, 2008

In October 2008, an unknown device exploded in the "Fis" shopping center in Vitez, killing security guard Zvonko Barbić.

Eight people were injured, and the attack was classified as terrorism.

The Court of BiH sentenced Suad Đidić to nine years in prison for making the explosive device that exploded on October 9, 2008, at the "Fis" business and shopping center.

Amir Ibrahimi was sentenced to two years in prison for the same crime after agreeing to a plea deal and admitting to directing Suad Đidić to make the explosive device for him.

Attack in Mostar, 1997

The attack in Mostar on September 18, 1997, is considered the first terrorist attack in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A bomb exploded in the western part of Mostar, where the majority of the population were Croats. The attack wounded 29 people and caused significant material damage.

The bomb contained 30 kilograms of TNT and MES, placed in a golf vehicle.

As previously reported, the investigation revealed that the perpetrators of this horrific attack were Ali Hamad, Ahmed Zuhair, Saleh Nedal, and Vlado Popovski. Two of the attackers had direct links to Al-Qaeda.