Human remains have been discovered in the village of Brod, in the municipality of Shtërpcë, during renewed search and assessment excavations at a suspected burial site.
The discovery was made today, November 12, 2026, as part of ongoing efforts to establish the fate and whereabouts of people who were forcibly disappeared during the war.
Search operations at the location began on November 6, 2026, after the relevant court order was obtained. However, the suspected grave could not be located during the initial operation because changes to the terrain over the years had made it difficult to determine its exact position.
The human remains recovered will now undergo further forensic examination and identification procedures, including DNA analysis.
Search carried out by Kosovo institutions
According to the Government Commission on Missing Persons, the operation was carried out through coordination between the Commission, the Institute of Forensic Medicine and the Kosovo Police Directorate for the Investigation of War Crimes – Missing Persons Investigation Sector, with the support of the Prosecution’s War Crimes Department.
The work was based on information gathered about the suspected location.
The Commission said the investigation also resulted from regional cooperation and joint efforts to address cases of shared interest. This included communication with Croatia’s Directorate for Missing Persons from the Homeland War, as well as continued cooperation with families of forcibly disappeared persons, the Coordinating Council of Kosovo’s Associations of Missing Persons’ Families and citizens who provided important information about the site.
The Government Commission expressed gratitude to all institutions and citizens involved, reaffirming its commitment to continuing efforts to establish the fate and whereabouts of all forcibly disappeared persons.
For families who have spent decades waiting for answers, every discovery is a painful reminder that the fate of Kosovo’s missing has still not been fully revealed. Finding human remains is only the beginning: identification, accountability and the truth about what happened to the victims must follow.
