Three former Bosnian Serb Army soldiers were arrested on suspicion that they assisted and committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Bosniaks in the Vlasenica area in 1995.

State Investigation and Protection Agency police officers on Wednesday arrested ex-soldiers Mile Kosoric, Rade Garic and Momcilo Tesic for alleged crimes against Bosniak prisoners of war and civilians in July 1995, including genocide.

The prosecution said that a search of buildings in the Vlasenica and Han Pijesak area was also underway.

“This is related to an investigation into events that happened in Luke, near Vlasenica, which included the forcible separation of civilians from a convoy of people who were leaving the protected zone following the fall of Srebrenica in July 1995,” the prosecution said.

“The investigation is also related to detention of the separated civilians in a school building, from where they were taken to the Mrsica and Jarovlja area, where they were killed,” it added.

After the war, a mass grave containing the remains of those who were killed people was found in Mrsica.

The prosecution confirmed that at least 30 people had been killed.

“As far as suspect Garic is concerned, an investigation into events that happened in the Vlasenica area from 1992 to 1995, including the commission of war crimes against the civilian population and prisoners of war, is also being conducted,” it said.

It is alleged that these crimes included the torture, abuse, rape and murder of Bosniaks in the area.

According to the prosecution’s allegations, Kosoric was the commander of the Vlasenica Brigade of the Drina Corps of the Bosnian Serb Army, Garic was the commander of the Interventions Squad with the Vlasenica Brigade, while Tesic was a military policeman with the Vlasenica Brigade.

The arrested men will be handed over to the prosecution, which will decide whether to file a custody motion or ask for other restrictive measures./BalkanInsights/