2015 Zvornik police station shooting

{{Multiple issues|section=|

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{{Infobox civilian attack

| partof =

| map = {{Location map | Bosnia and Herzegovina

| width = 250

| label = Zvornik

| lat_deg = 44.379715

| lon_deg = 19.102301

}}

| image_size =

| location = Zvornik, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina

| target = Police officers

| coordinates = {{Coord|44|22|46.97|N|19|06|08.28|E|display=inline}}

| date = {{start date|2015|04|27|df=y}}

| time = 19:00

| timezone = CEST

| type = Shooting spree

| fatalities = 2 (including attacker)

| injuries = 2

| victims =

| perp = Nerdin Ibrić

| perpetrators = Nerdin Ibrić

| susperps =

| weapons = * 2 shotguns

pistol

| numparts =

| dfens =

| motive = Islamic extremism{{sfn|N1|2015}}{{Clear}}Revenge{{sfn|SRNA|2015}}{{sfn|Vijesti.ba|2015}}

| website =

}}

The 2015 Zvornik police station shooting happened on April 27, 2015, when a gunman attacked a police station in Zvornik in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He killed one police officer and wounded two others before being shot dead by other police officers. This was the first attack of its kind in Republika Srpska; attacks have occurred in the other entity, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the 1997 Mostar car bombing.

Police forces of Republika Srpska launched a counter-terrorist operation codenamed Operation Ruben, with the declared aim of disrupting targets suspected of possessing firearms and involvement in radical Islamist circles. The move was heavily criticised by several Bosniak politicians because of the absence of coordination with the central government, with some suggesting that the operation was calculated to intimidate Bosniak refugees who had returned to live on what is today Republika Srpska's territory.{{sfn|Balkan Insight|2015}}

Shooting

Nerdin Ibrić, born in 1991 in Sapna near Zvornik, drove up to the Zvornik police station at around 19:00. When a sentry told him that he could not park in front of the station, Ibrić produced a rifle and opened fire at the officer.

Several Bosnian-language news portals claimed that Ibrić had never shouted "Allahu akbar",{{sfn|NAP|2015}}{{sfn|Fokus|2015}}{{sfn|bportal|2015}} citing another news portal which only reported that he had shouted profanities and threats.{{sfn|Press|2015}} However, the following day, the same portal reported that Ibrić had initially yelled profanities and threats, but then began shouting Allahu akbar.{{sfn|Press|2015}}

Police officer Dragan Đurić was struck by several bullets, and killed. Ibrić then went inside the station and continued shooting, wounding two other officers, after which he was killed by the police.{{sfn|Dnevnik Nove TV|2015}}{{sfn|Zuvela|Sito-Sucic|Pomeroy|2015}}{{sfn|Deutsche Welle|2015}} The wounded policemen were quickly transferred to the local hospital. Police believe that the attack was well-planned in advance, as Ibrić knew exactly when the officers' shifts switched, and thus began his spree when the most policemen would be inside the station.{{sfn|Dnevnik Nove TV|2015}}

The Minister of Interior of the Republika Srpska, Dragan Lukač, said that the assailant was probably a Wahhabist and called the shooting an act of terrorism. The President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, criticised police and security agencies at the state-level for not providing Bosnian Serb authorities with any useful information about potential terrorist plots prior to the attack. However, three days prior to the shooting, the Intelligence-Security Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (OSA-OBA BiH) had informed police agencies in the country that there was a possibility of a terrorist attack as retribution for the recent arrests of several individuals of Bosniak origin in Australia who had planned terrorist attacks there.{{sfn|Večernje novosti|2015}}{{sfn|Krešić|2015}}

Ibrić was buried on 30 April 2015 at a local cemetery in Kučić Kula near Zvornik in accordance with religious rituals with several hundred people attending his funeral.{{sfn|N1|2015}}

Investigation

On the day of the shooting, the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) had arrested Ibrić's friend, Avdulah Hasanović. Hasanović was previously arrested by SIPA during the anti-terrorist action Operation Damascus, as he was suspected of being a member of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Hasanović was known to have participated in the Syrian Civil War in 2014.{{sfn|Blaško|2015}} Another one of Ibrić's associates, Kasim Mehidić, was arrested. After a two-day interrogation, both Hasanović and Mehidić were handed over to the State Attorney of Bosnia and Herzegovina for further investigation.{{sfn|Novi list|2015}} The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina ordered that they be detained for one month under suspicion that they had recruited Ibrić for the attack.{{sfn|Nezavisne novine|2015}}

Soon after Ibrić's two friends were arrested, the police expanded its investigation to include other suspected radical Islamists, some of whom were also veterans of the Syrian Civil War. The police suspect that the village of Dubnica near Kalesija is one of the major gathering points of radical Islamists. Soon after the attack, Dodik met with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić and Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, asking them for intelligence and counter-terrorism assistance.{{sfn|Jazvić|2015}}

On 6 May, the Republika Srpska launched Operation Ruben in order to root out suspected radical Islamists from the entity, detaining dozens of Muslim Bosniaks,{{sfn|AFP|2015}} as well as confiscating weapons, ammunition and propaganda material believed to be aimed to encourage Bosnian citizens to join fighters in Syria.{{sfn|AP News|2015}} The operation has been criticised by multiple Bosniak politicians, including Bakir Izetbegović who said that the Republika Srpska police had "crossed the line".{{sfn|World Bulletin|2015}} The Mayor of Srebrenica said that the Serb police stormed the homes of Bosniaks who returned after the war and carried out arrests without explanation. He called it a "form of repression".{{sfn|St. Louis Post-Dispatch|2015}}

Possible motives

The Presidency and the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Government of Republika Srpska characterised the shooting as a terrorist attack.{{sfn|The Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina|2015}}{{sfn|The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina|2015}}{{sfn|The Government of Republika Srpska|2015}} The United States Embassy to Bosnia and Herzegovina also referred to it as terrorism.{{sfn|The US Embassy to Bosnia and Herzegovina|2015}} The Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina condemned the attack in a press release but did not describe it as a terrorist operation.{{sfn|The Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina|2015}}

The Sarajevo-based newspaper Dnevni avaz claimed the Bijeli Potok massacre that occurred on 1 June 1992 as a possible motive, when 668 Bosniaks of Zvornik, among whom was Ibrić's father Sejfo, were separated from their families and killed by the Army of Republika Srpska and police of Zvornik, with help of paramilitary units from Serbia.{{sfn|Dnevni avaz|2015}} According to Balkan Insight, their names were mentioned among more than 850 Serb soldiers and policemen on a 2004 Republika Srpska government report on the Srebrenica massacres.{{sfn|Jukic|2015}} However, one of the officials who made the report explained that it just listed military and police personnel who were on duty in 1995 in the territory between Zvornik and Višegrad (including Srebrenica); the official said that "it is insane to claim that all of them committed war crimes".{{sfn|Glas Srpske|2015}}

References

= Notes =

= Books =

{{cite book |last1=Azinović |first1=Vlado |last2=Jusić |first2=Muahamed |date=2015 |title=The New Lure of the Syrian War the Foreign Fighter' Bosnian Contingent |location=Sarajevo |publisher=The Atlantic Initiative |page= |isbn=9789958032059}}

= Journals =

{{cite journal |last1=Anđelković |first1=Slobodan |last2=Vuković |first2=Nebojša |last3=Lazić |first3=Željko |date=2016 |title=Genesis of the Islamic State and its Reflections on the Security of Western Balkan Countries |journal=Vojno Delo |volume=68 |issue=8 |pages=42–53 |doi=10.5937/vojdelo1508042A|doi-access=free }}
{{cite journal |last=Bryjka |first=Filip |date=2021 |title=The involvement of Western Balkan terrorist-fighters in armed conflicts in Syria and Iraq |location=Sarajevo |journal=Rocznik Instytutu Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=151–173 |doi=10.36874/RIESW.2021.4.8|s2cid=245957968 }}

= News reports =

{{cite news|last=Blaško |first=Dubravka |title=Uhićen pomagač likvidiranog terorista u BiH, bio je povezan s džihadistima Islamske države |url=http://www.telegram.hr/politika-kriminal/policija-upravo-objavila-da-je-uhitila-osobu-povezanu-s-napadom-u-zvorniku/ |language=hr |publisher=Telegram |date=28 April 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015}}
{{cite news|title=Bosnia: 30 detained over alleged weapons smuggling |url=http://www.worldbulletin.net/world/158894/tanzania-opp-agree-to-field-presidential-candidate |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518101103/http://www.worldbulletin.net/world/158894/tanzania-opp-agree-to-field-presidential-candidate |url-status=usurped |archive-date=May 18, 2015 |publisher=World Bulletin |date=7 May 2015 |access-date=8 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|World Bulletin|2015}}}}
{{cite news|title=Bosnian Arrested For Suspected Ties To Attack On Republika Srpska Police |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/bosnia-gunman-police-station-deaths/26981622.html |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |date=3 May 2015 |access-date=3 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|2015}}}}
{{cite news |title=Bosnian police launch operation to root out radical Islamists |url=http://www.afp.com/en/news/bosnian-police-launch-operation-root-out-radical-islamists |publisher=AFP |date=6 May 2015 |access-date=8 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|AFP|2015}} }}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
{{cite news|title=Bosnian police launch raids against Islamic extremism |url=https://apnews.com/general-news-international-news-eda64603ba6d4105bbdb74a2a0bac769 |work=AP News |date=6 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|AP News|2015}}}}
{{cite news|title=Bosnian Serb Mass Arrests Alarm Bosniaks |url=http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/bosnian-serb-terrorism-related-arrests-raise-ethnic-concerns |publisher=Balkan Insight |date=8 May 2015 |access-date=11 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|Balkan Insight|2015}}}}
{{cite news|title=Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Extraordinary Session |url=http://www.vijeceministara.gov.ba/saopstenja/sjednice/saopstenja_sa_sjednica/default.aspx?id=19248&langTag=en-US |publisher=The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina |date=28 April 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina|2015}}}}
{{cite news |title=Dragan Đurić preživeo rat, a ubijen u miru! |url=http://pressrs.ba/sr/vesti/vesti_dana/story/86842/Dragan+%C4%90uri%C4%87+pre%C5%BEiveo+rat,+a+ubijen+u+miru!.html |language=sr |newspaper=Press |date=29 April 2015 |access-date=4 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|Press|2015}} |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505073114/http://pressrs.ba/sr/vesti/vesti_dana/story/86842/Dragan+%C4%90uri%C4%87+pre%C5%BEiveo+rat,+a+ubijen+u+miru!.html |archive-date=5 May 2015 |url-status=dead }}
{{cite news|title=Gunman carries out 'terrorist' attack on Bosnian police station |url=http://www.dw.de/gunman-carries-out-terrorist-attack-on-bosnian-police-station/a-18412359 |newspaper=Deutsche Welle |date=27 April 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|Deutsche Welle|2015}}}}
{{cite news |title=High Representative condemns attack against police station in Zvornik |url=http://www.ohr.int/ohr-dept/presso/pressr/default.asp?content_id=49072 |publisher=The Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina |date=28 April 2015 |access-date=10 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|The Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina|2015}} |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150604183353/http://www.ohr.int/ohr-dept/presso/pressr/default.asp?content_id=49072 |archive-date=4 June 2015 |url-status=dead }}
{{cite news|last=Jazvić |first=Dejan |title=Dodik ne vjeruje Sarajevu pa traži pomoć Beograda |url=http://www.vecernji.hr/svijet/dodik-ne-vjeruje-sarajevu-pa-trazi-pomoc-beograda-1003060 |language=hr |publisher=Večernji list |date=29 April 2015 |access-date=6 May 2015}}
{{cite news|last=Jukic |first=M |title=Bosnia Police Station Attack Raises Ethnic Tensions |url=http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/deadly-terrorist-attack-on-police-station-raises-ethnic-tensions-across-bosnia |publisher=Balkan Insight |date=28 April 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015}}
{{cite news|last=Krešić |first=Zoran |title=Terorizam u BiH i hrvatski problem – ekstremistima najprivlačnija sela uz granicu |url=http://www.vecernji.hr/svijet/ubojstvo-policajca-osveta-je-zbog-uhicenja-bh-drzavljana-dzihadista-koji-zive-u-australiji-1002804 |language=hr |publisher=Večernji list |date=29 April 2015 |access-date=6 May 2015}}
{{cite news|title=Lista zaposlenih podvaljena kao spisak ratnih zločinaca |url=http://www.glassrpske.com/novosti/vijesti_dana/Lista-zaposlenih-podvaljena-kao-spisak-ratnih-zlocinaca/lat/178892.html |language=sr |newspaper=Glas Srpske |date=26 March 2015 |access-date=5 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|Glas Srpske|2015}}}}
{{cite news|title=Mehidiću i Hasanoviću određen jednomjesečni pritvor |url=http://www.nezavisne.com/novosti/hronika/Mehidicu-i-Hasanovicu-odredjen-jednomjesecni-pritvor-303067.html |language=sr |newspaper=Nezavisne novine |date=2 May 2015 |access-date=6 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|Nezavisne novine|2015}}}}
{{cite news|title=Nekoliko stotina ljudi okupilo se na pogrebu radikalnog islamiste Nerdina Ibrića na groblju u Kučić Kuli |url=http://www.novilist.hr/Vijesti/Svijet/Nekoliko-stotina-ljudi-okupilo-se-na-pogrebu-radikalnog-islamiste-Nerdina-Ibrica-na-groblju-u-Kucic-Kuli |language=hr |newspaper=Novi list |date=30 April 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|Novi list|2015}}}}
{{cite news |title=Novi detalji: Ibrić po izlasku iz automobila psovao policajcima i vikao 'sve ću vas pobiti' |url=http://bportal.ba/novi-detalji-ibric-po-izlasku-automobila-psovao-policajcima-i-vikao-sve-cu-vas-pobiti/ |language=bs |publisher=bportal |date=28 April 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|bportal|2015}} |archive-date=1 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501105500/http://bportal.ba/novi-detalji-ibric-po-izlasku-automobila-psovao-policajcima-i-vikao-sve-cu-vas-pobiti/ |url-status=dead }}
{{cite news|title=Otkrivamo ko je 24-godišnji Nerdin Ibrić, napadač na policijsku stanicu u Zvorniku! |url=http://www.avaz.ba/clanak/175287/otkrivamo-ko-je-24-godisnji-nerdin-ibric-napadac-na-policijsku-stanicu-u-zvorniku |language=bs |newspaper=Dnevni avaz |date=27 April 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|Dnevni avaz|2015}}}}
{{cite news|title=Oca ubijenog policajca u Zvorniku 1992. ubili pripadnici Armije BiH |url=http://www.ebrcko.net/vijesti/vijesti-bih/28939-oca-ubijenog-policajca-u-zvorniku-1992-ubili-pripadnici-armije-bih |language=sr |publisher=eBrcko |date=28 April 2015 |access-date=4 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|eBrcko|2015}}}}
{{cite news |title=Policajac ubijen metkom u čelo! |url=http://pressrs.ba/sr/vesti/vesti_dana/story/86803/%28FOTO%29+Policajac+ubijen+metkom+u+%C4%8Delo%21.html |language=sr |publisher=Press |date=28 April 2015 |access-date=3 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|Press|015}} |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501021216/http://pressrs.ba/sr/vesti/vesti_dana/story/86803/(FOTO)+Policajac+ubijen+metkom+u+%C4%8Delo!.html |archive-date=1 May 2015 |url-status=dead }}
{{cite news |title=Press: Ibrić nije uzvikivao "Allahu ekber", nego je psovao! |url=http://www.fokus.ba/69862/vijesti/bih/press-ibric-nije-uzvikivao-allahu-ekber-nego-je-psovao/ |language=bs |publisher=Fokus |date=28 April 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|Fokus|2015}} |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728160457/http://www.fokus.ba/69862/vijesti/bih/press-ibric-nije-uzvikivao-allahu-ekber-nego-je-psovao/ |archive-date=28 July 2015 |url-status=dead }}
{{cite news|title=Press RS tvrdi: Ibrić je psovao, a ne uzvikivao Allahu ekber |url=http://nap.ba/new/vijest.php?id=11101 |language=bs |publisher=NAP |date=28 April 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|NAP|2015}}}}
{{cite news|title=Preživjeli policajci svjedoče: Upao je u postaju, počeo pucati i vikati 'Allahu ekber' |url=http://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/svijet/bih-manijak-upao-u-policiju-i-otvorio-vatru-ubio-jednog-ranio-dvoje-policajaca---382715.html |language=hr |publisher=Dnevnik Nove TV |date=27 April 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|Dnevnik Nove TV|2015}}}}
{{cite news|title=Više stotina ljudi došlo na sahranu terorista Ibrića u Zvorniku |url=http://www.rtl.hr/vijesti/novosti/1601656/vise-stotina-ljudi-doslo-na-sahranu-terorista-ibrica-u-zvorniku/ |language=hr |publisher=RTL |date=1 May 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|RTL|2015}}}}
{{cite news|last=Sito-Sucic |first=Daria |title=Man who fought in Syria detained in Bosnia over police killing |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bosnia-attack-idUSKBN0NJ1JT20150428 |publisher=Reuters |date=28 April 2015 |access-date=3 May 2015}}
{{cite news |title=Srebrenica Muslims accuse Serb authorities of harassment |url=http://www.stltoday.com/news/world/srebrenica-muslims-accuse-serb-authorities-of-harassment/article_0dd2dd7a-14e9-528a-98e8-ffa6b959796d.html |newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=7 May 2015 |access-date=8 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|St. Louis Post-Dispatch|2015}} }}{{Dead link|date=July 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
{{cite news|title=The Government of the Republic of Srpska condemns the terrorist attack in Zvornik |url=http://www.vladars.net/eng/vlada/ic/ns/Pages/The-Government-of-the-Republic-of-Srpska-condemns-the-terrorist-attack-in-Zvornik-.aspx |publisher=The Government of Republika Srpska |date=28 April 2015 |access-date=3 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|The Government of Republika Srpska|2015}}}}
{{cite news|title=The Presidency of BiH takes stance against the police station terrorist attack in Zvornik |url=http://www.predsjednistvobih.ba/saop/default.aspx?id=65743&langTag=en-US |publisher=The Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina |date=28 April 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|The Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina|2015}}}}
{{cite news|title=The U.S. Embassy to BiH condemns the terrorist attack on the police station in Zvornik |url=http://sarajevo.usembassy.gov/press_20150428.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024124343/http://sarajevo.usembassy.gov/press_20150428.html |url-status=dead|publisher=The US Embassy to Bosnia and Herzegovina |date=28 April 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|The US Embassy to Bosnia and Herzegovina|2015}}|archive-date=2015-10-24 }}
{{cite news|title=Tko je Nerdin Ibrić? Napadaču iz Zvornika Vojska Republike Srpske ubila je oca... Prije tri godine počeo je puštati bradu |url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/tko-je-nerdin-ibric--napadacu-iz-zvornika-1992--vojska-republike-srpske-ubila-je-oca-i-jos-750-bosnjaka/1338893/ |language=hr |newspaper=Jutarnji list |date=28 April 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|Jutarnji list|2015}}}}
{{cite news|title=Uhapšene dve osobe zbog napada u Zvorniku, OSA: Poslali smo upozorenje policijama! |url=http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/naslovna/republika_srpska/aktuelno.655.html:545601-Muskarac-uhapsen-zbog-napada-u-Zvorniku-boravio-u-Siriji |language=sr |newspaper=Večernje novosti |date=28 April 2015 |access-date=4 May 2015 |ref={{harvid|Večernje novosti|2015}}}}
{{cite news|title=Više stotina ljudi na pokopu terorista Ibrića u Zvorniku |url=https://n1info.hr/regija/a46311-vise-stotina-ljudi-na-pokopu-terorista-ibrica-u-zvorniku/ |language=hr |newspaper=N1 |date=30 April 2015 |access-date=8 November 2022 |ref={{harvid|N1|2015}}}}
{{cite news|last1=Zuvela |first1=Maja |last2=Sito-Sucic |first2=Daria |last3=Pomeroy |first3=Robin |title=Gunman kills Bosnian policeman in apparent Islamist attack |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-bosnia-police-attack-idUKKBN0NI25J20150427 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106123342/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-bosnia-police-attack-idUKKBN0NI25J20150427 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 6, 2016 |publisher=Reuters |date=27 April 2015 |access-date=2 May 2015}}
{{cite news|last=SRNA |date=28 April 2015 |title=Mektić: Nema indicija da je Ibrić pripadao vehabijskom pokretu |website=Klix |url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/mektic-nema-indicija-da-je-ibric-pripadao-vehabijskom-pokretu/150428128 |language=bs}}
{{cite news|title=Oca Nerdina Ibrića zvornički policajci strijeljali 1992.godine |url=https://vijesti.ba/clanak/269702/oca-nerdina-ibrica-zvornicki-policajci-strijeljali-1992-godine |language=bs |website=Vijesti.ba |date=28 April 2015 |ref={{harvid|Vijesti.ba|2015}}}}