Škabrnja Massacre Victims Remembered

It was not just Vukovar remembering today. Škabrnja, a municipality located halfway between Zadar and Benkovac in northern Dalmatia, on Tuesday remembered its residents killed under attack during the Homeland war on 18 November 1991…

43 residents and 15 soldiers lost their lives on this day 23 years ago on what was called the Škabrnja massacre. Serb paramilitaries, supported by the JNA, captured the village of Škabrnja and killed 62 civilians by March 1992. Several people also died when stepping on landmines. In total, 86 people were killed, mostly the women, or the elderly. Škabrnja and Nadin were ethnically cleansed of its non-Serb population and annexed to the Republic of Serbian Krajina, remaining there until the Croatian forces reintegrated them back in 1995.

Monument for victims of Škabrnja massacre

On Tuesday the victims were once again remembered by the victims’ families, police and army and war veterans’ and victims’ associations representatives, as well as government officials. A mass was held for the victims, before a procession headed off to the local cemetry to pay their respects there.