Primošten massacre
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| Primošten massacre | |
|---|---|
| Location | Primošten |
| Date | 16 November 1942 |
| Target | Croats |
Attack type | Mass murder, reprisals |
| Deaths | 80–150 |
| Perpetrators | Italian army |
The Primošten massacre was the mass murder of Croat civilians by Italian occupation forces on 16 November 1942, in the village of Primošten, in retaliation for an earlier Partisan attack.[1]
On 13 November 1942, Partisans ambushed an Italian truck convoy near Primošten, fourteen Italian soldiers were killed, seven were wounded and six were taken prisoner.[2] Three days later, Italian forces ordered reprisals against the civilian population of Primošten.[3]
On 16 November 1942, Italian forces surrounded Primošten and indiscriminately shelled and bombed the village with artillery from land and sea and with three planes. The bombardment lasted for four hours,[1] causing a large number of civilian deaths and injuries and heavily damaged large parts of Primošten.[4]
After the artillery attack, Italian infantry entered the village, shooting or bayoneting a number of male civilians, who were separated from the women and children.[4] The remaining homes were torched and looted, others were booby-trapped with grenades, killing a number of civilians (including children) that tried to later return to their homes.[4]
Around 300 homes were destroyed or damaged during the attack.[4] Nearby villages were also burned and looted, 200 civilians were arrested[1] and were deported to the Vodice concentration camp.[4]