Serbs Retrieve Bodies of 2 Lovers
Bosnian Serb soldiers retrieved the bodies of two slain lovers from a dangerous no-man’s-land early Tuesday, saying they took the risk to demonstrate their humanity.
The 25-year-old lovers--a Serbian man and a Muslim woman--were shot and killed last Wednesday trying to escape the besieged Bosnian capital for Serbia.
Their bodies lay rotting in a shell-blasted wasteland between government and Serbian lines while the two sides bickered over who had rights to recover them.
A six-man Serbian commando team resolved the dispute by braving Muslim sniper fire.
“We did the job because we wanted to show that Serb soldiers are human soldiers, that we act for the people,” said Marko Topic, a member of the team.
Friends say Bosko Brckic and Admira Ismic, sweethearts since high school, had set off for Serbia after having negotiated permission from commanders on both sides to leave the city.
They were shot as they approached the Vrbana bridge. Both sides deny responsibility.
The bodies were taken to Serb-held Lukavica, just outside Sarajevo. Serbian officials say the couple will be buried in Serbian territory.
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