Bukovica massacre

Part of World War II in Yugoslavia

Date	4–7 February 1943
Location	Bukovica, Pljevlja, Italian governorate of Montenegro (modern day Montenegro)
Result	After short battle with Muslim militia, Bukovica fell under Chetnik control

Belligerents

Sandžak Muslim militia

Chetniks

Commanders and leaders

Latif Močević
Alija Hadžimusić †

Pavle Đurišić

Units involved

Bukovica detachment
Foča detachment

Mileševa Corps
Drina Corps
Durmitor Brigade

Strength

2,500

3,550

Casualties and losses

more than 576 civilians

The Bukovica massacre was a massacre of Muslims in Bukovica, Pljevlja, in the Axis-occupied Italian governorate of Montenegro. It took place February 4–7, 1943, during the Chetniks' 1943 cleansing campaign (conducted against the order of supreme Chetnik command). The massacre was aimed at establishing Chetnik control over territories held by the Sandžak Muslim militia. After a short battle with the Muslim militia, Chetniks captured Bukovica and killed over five hundred civilians.

Bukovica is a rural area of Pljevlja municipality located in northern Montenegro, and is part of the Sandžak region. To the north lay the Bosnian municipalities of Čajniče and Foča. Bukovica is 104 square kilometres (40 sq mi) and contains over 30 hamlets with 1 to 10 houses. Prior to the start of World War II, the population of Bukovica was predominantly Muslim, with a substantial Serb population.

At the end of April 1941 and into the beginning of May, Croatian Ustaše forces captured Sandžak. Political representatives of the Muslim population requested that the territory of Sandžak should be annexed by the Independent State of Croatia. Thus the Sandžak Muslim militia was established in all regions of Sandžak, including Pljevlja. After withdrawal of the Ustaše from Sandžak in September 1941, the region came under control of Italian forces as part of Italian governorate of Montenegro. In April 1942, Italians established a battalion of Muslim militia in Metaljka, near Čajniče, composed of about 500 Muslims from villages near Pljevlja and Čajniče. Soon after, a command post of Muslim militia was established in Bukovica, near Pljevlja. It was commanded by Latif Moćević, the president of Bukovica municipality. From the end of May 1942, his units attacked and killed local Serbs.

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