Bosnia and Herzegovina: UN mission condemns blast that destroyed rebuilt mosque

The United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) today condemned the destruction of a newly reconstructed mosque, urging the local police to extend all efforts to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

According to UNMIBH, the mosque in Kljuc, in Gacko municipality, was rocked on Wednesday night by a powerful explosion that completely destroyed the minaret and damaged its roof and windows.

"The inauguration of this mosque [in June] had been a significant event in relation to the return process, as this mosque was the first one to be reconstructed and inaugurated in eastern Herzegovina," the Mission said in a statement released in Sarajevo. "Kljuc is one of the small Bosniak returnee communities in Gacko."

UNMIBH said it would closely monitor the police investigation of the incident. "Robust and prompt action by local authorities and local police is required not only to apprehend those responsible for the violent destruction of the mosque, but also to send a strong signal that any obstruction of the return process in Bosnia-Herzegovina will not be tolerated," the statement said.