El Mozote massacre
| El Mozote massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Salvadoran Civil War | |
The memorial at El Mozote | |
| Location | El Mozote, El Salvador |
| Date | December 11, 1981 |
| Target | Civilian residents of El Mozote and neighbouring villages |
Attack type | Shooting, grenades, decapitation |
| Deaths | 800–1,000 |
| Perpetrator | Salvadoran Army |
The El Mozote massacre took place both in and around the village of El Mozote, in the Morazán Department, El Salvador, on December 11 and 12, 1981, when the Salvadoran Army killed more than 811 civilians during the Salvadoran Civil War. The army had arrived in the village on the 10th, following clashes with guerrillas in the area. The Salvadoran Army's Atlácatl Battalion, under the orders of Domingo Monterrosa was responsible for the massacre.
In December 2011, the government of El Salvador apologized for the massacre, the largest in the Americas in modern times.