Ex-Yugoslav general jailed for war crimes

A former Yugoslav general has been jailed for seven and a half years for war crimes committed in the Croatian town of Dubrovnic in 1991.

Already sentenced in 2005 for his involvement in the campaign, Pavle Strugar was found guilty on Thursday of failing to stop the attack despite having information it was about to take place.

However, the 75-year-old, who has undergone several hip operations and is in poor health, saw his overall sentence reduced by six months after judges cited his ill-health as a mitigating factor.

Two civilians were killed and three were wounded when forces under Strugar’s command shelled Dubrovnic in December 1991, after Croatia declared independence.

A UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site, Dubrovnic suffered heavy damage in the assault. The siege of the city, which lasted three months, claimed an estimated 50 civilian lives.