The 2010 Bugojno bombing was an act of

Islamic terrorism Islamic terrorism (also known as Islamist terrorism or radical Islamic terrorism) refers to terrorist acts with religious motivations carried out by fundamentalist militant Islamists and Islamic extremists. Incidents and fatalities f ...

that occurred on 27 June 2010 against the police authorities of the

Central Bosnia Canton The Central Bosnia Canton ( bs, Srednjobosanski kanton/Средњобосански кантон, hr, Županija Središnja Bosna) is one of 10 cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The most populous se ...

Bugojno Bugojno ( sr-cyrl, Бугојно) is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on river Vrbas, to the northwest from Sarajevo. Acco ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

. In the attack, one policeman was killed and several others were injured. Haris Čaušević, the assailant, was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Bombing

Haris Čaušević, the perpetrator of the attack, belonged to a homegrown terrorist cell led by Rijad Rustempašić. The group followed the

Salafist The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a reform branch movement within Sunni Islam that originated during the nineteenth century. The name refers to advocacy of a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors" (), the first three generati ...

Islamic ideology, and Čaušević participated at the planning meetings. Rustempašić and several of his followers were arrested in a police operation in 2009 and charged with terrorism, conspiracy to commit a crime, and illegal possession and trade of weapons. The trial against them began in March 2010. In retaliation, on 27 June 2010, just before 05:00 AM Čaušević detonated an improvised explosive device, planted between the police station and the parked cars, killing the police officer Tarik Ljubuškić, severely injuring his colleague Edina Hindić and injuring several other police officers. Čaušević planned to kill even more police officers, timing his attack between the two shifts. The police station and the surrounding buildings were heavily damaged, estimated to damage worth approximately € 250,000. Immediately after the detonation Čaušević was arrested at a nearby parking lot. Naser Palislamović, who was also part of the Rustempašić group and was believed to be the mastermind of the attack, was arrested shortly after in

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...

. A third person that was supposed to fire from an AK-47 at the rushing police officers after the blast quit the night before the attack. Čaušević also planned to kidnap a police officer and his children in order to force the authorities with the goal either to release Rustempašić, or implement the

Sharia law Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the Five Pillars of Islam, religious precepts of Islam and is based on the Islamic holy books, sacred scriptures o ...

, as well as the attacks on police patrols. The ethnic and religious background of the victims was not a factor in the attack, as all of them were ethnic Bosniaks and Muslims. During the meetings with Rustempašić, the group discussed jihad, recruitment, implementation of Sharia, and attacking the politicians who "drifted away from Islam". Babic writes that Čaušević and his associates belong to a group of a new generation of

Islamic extremists Islamic extremism, Islamist extremism, or radical Islam, is used in reference to extremist beliefs and behaviors which are associated with the Islamic religion. These are controversial terms with varying definitions, ranging from academic unde ...

who have no regard for the civil laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina and are prepared to start a war among the Bosnian Muslims themselves.

Trial

The trial against Čaušević and Palislamovivić started in March 2011 before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Čaušević pleaded not guilty throughout the trial. On 20 December 2013, Čaušević was sentenced to a record and maximum sentence of 45 years in prison for the bombing and planning to kidnap a police officer and his children. Palislamović was acquitted of charges as it was not proven he planned or committed the bombing. Čaušević's defence announced it will appeal the verdict, and the Council of Appeal of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina revoked the verdict for procedural reasons and ordered a new trial, which lasted from March to July 2015. After a renewed process, Čaušević was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

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