A violent shootout among rival migrant groups near an asylum camp in Bosnia left six people wounded, including five with serious injuries.
A violent shootout among rival migrant groups near an asylum camp in Bosnia left six people wounded, including five with serious injuries, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday, quoting police. The shooting occurred on Monday evening near the migrant camp in Blazuj, a village located on the outskirts of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo.
Authorities immediately launched a raid on the camp, where several suspects were detained in connection with the incident.
Local Bosnian media outlets suggested the clash was the result of a confrontation between rival groups of smugglers operating in the area. These smugglers were reportedly transporting migrants from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Among the injured, two individuals are said to be in a life-threatening condition.
Migrants attempting to reach Western Europe commonly pass through Bosnia and Herzegovina on the so-called “Balkan Route.” People smugglers are frequently involved in illegally transporting these migrants through neighbouring countries, such as Croatia, which is a European Union member, the report said.
Though the number of migrants crossing the Balkans has dropped in recent years, compared to the tens of thousands who passed through in 2015 and 2016, the region remains a hotspot for human trafficking and migrant-related violence.
Many of these migrants, often from the Middle East, Africa, or Asia, encounter abuse and exploitation at the hands of criminal gangs, who frequently clash over control of smuggling routes and with local authorities.
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