Serbia marks 11th anniversary of NATO attacks
On Wednesday, Serbia pays tribute to victims of the NATO bombing of the former Yugoslavia in 1999, when more than 2,500 civilians died and about 200,000 more were displaced as the result of the alliance's air strikes.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The bombing became NATO's largest-ever military operation on the territory of Serbia and Montenegro since the end of World War Two, experts say, pointing to the fact that the bombing was staged without being okayed by the US Security Council.
Commemoration events are due to be held all across Serbia, including the capital Belgrade with the Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Irinej set to lead memorial service at the Belgrade St.Marcus Cathedral.
The 78-day bombing commenced after failed peace negotiations over Kosovo crisis in Rambouillet, France.
The attacks ended on June 9 with the signing of the Kumanovo Agreement and the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1244.
In the bombing, great damage was done to Serbia's infrastructure, including business facilities, schools, hospitals, media headquarters and cultural monuments.
Air-raid sirens will be sounded today symbolically throughout the country at noon and will last 60 seconds.
Even though 11 years have passed, consequences of the bombing are still visible. One of the most prominent examples is the state military headquarters, located in the center of Belgrade, which remains damaged.
In the 78 days of the attacks, 540 buildings were destroyed, 58 bridges and 30,000 homes.
The material damage is estimated at about USD 30bn
