Sniper Alley

"Sniper Alley" was the informal name primarily for streets such as Ulica Zmaja od Bosne (<a href="/facts/Husein_Grada%C5%A1%C4%8Devi%C4%87/YvxnBLuo">Dragon of Bosnia</a> Street) and Meša Selimović Boulevard, the main boulevard in <a href="/facts/Sarajevo/IzawfJRg">Sarajevo</a> which during the <a href="/facts/Bosnian_War/JyRvRtbv">Bosnian War</a> was lined with <a href="/facts/Army_of_Republika_Srpska/Ck4q1DBr">Serbian</a> <a href="/facts/Sniper/jCTJcvwx">snipers</a>' posts, and became infamous as a dangerous place for civilians to traverse. The road connects the industrial part of the city (and further on, <a href="/facts/Sarajevo_International_Airport/1UlQMwIn">Sarajevo Airport</a>) to the Old Town's cultural and historic sites. The boulevard itself has many high-rise buildings giving <a href="/facts/Sniper/jCTJcvwx">sniper</a> shooters extensive fields of fire.
Mountains surrounding the city were also used for sniper positions, providing a safe distance and giving an excellent view of the city and its traffic. Although the city was under constant <a href="/facts/Siege_of_Sarajevo/1WShkBQ4">Serb siege</a>, its people still had to move about the city in order to survive, thus routinely risking their lives. Signs reading "Pazi – Snajper!" ("Watch out – Sniper!") became common. People would either run fast across the street or would wait for <a href="/facts/United_Nations/fgXLnmgT">United Nations</a> <a href="/facts/Vehicle_armour/vz5Js71F">armored vehicles</a> and walk behind them, using them as protective shields. According to data gathered in 1995, the snipers wounded 1,030 people and killed 225 - 60 of whom were children.

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Sniper Alley