Jacky Chapman

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Romeo and Juliet bridge, Sarajevo

Vrbanja bridge, Sarajevo. Re- named the Suada and Olga Bridge, after Admira Ismić and Boško Brkić. The couple were natives of Bosnia and Herzegovina living in the city of Sarajevo. She was Muslim, and he a Serb. They were killed by snipers on 19 May 1993, in broad daylight while trying to cross the Vrbanja bridge to the Serb-occupied territory of Grbavica. Bosko was shot by sniper fire, and died. Ismic, also wounded by sniper fire, crawled to her childhood sweetheart, put an arm around him, and died at his side, never trying to escape to safety herself.

Their tragic story was told worldwide over the next week as Serbs and Muslims argued over who was responsible for shooting them, and which side should risk the treacherous journey onto the bridge to recover the bodies and bury them.

The couple's bodies laid side by side on the bridge for eight days, until finally the Serbian side went in under cover of night to drag the corpses away. Muslim prisoners later claimed they were tethered by their Serbian captors and forced to go out on the bridge to drag the by-then decaying bodies back.

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Vrbanja bridge, Sarajevo. Re- named the Suada and Olga Bridge, after Admira Ismić and Boško Brkić. The couple were natives of Bosnia and Herzegovina living in the city of Sarajevo. She was Muslim, and he a Serb. They were killed by snipers on 19 May 1993, in broad daylight while trying to cross the Vrbanja bridge to the Serb-occupied territory of Grbavica. Bosko was shot by sniper fire, and died. Ismic, also wounded by sniper fire, crawled to her childhood sweetheart, put an arm around him, and died at his side, never trying to escape to safety herself.<br /> <br /> Their tragic story was told worldwide over the next week as Serbs and Muslims argued over who was responsible for shooting them, and which side should risk the treacherous journey onto the bridge to recover the bodies and bury them.<br /> <br /> The couple's bodies laid side by side on the bridge for eight days, until finally the Serbian side went in under cover of night to drag the corpses away. Muslim prisoners later claimed they were tethered by their Serbian captors and forced to go out on the bridge to drag the by-then decaying bodies back.