▁British , ▁Australian , ▁and ▁New ▁Zealand ▁troops ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁captured ▁in ▁Cre te ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁ ▁The ▁city , ▁a ▁major ▁industrial ▁centre ▁with ▁an ▁extensive ▁arm ament ▁industry , ▁was ▁system atically ▁bom bed ▁by ▁the ▁Al lies ▁in ▁the ▁closing ▁years ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁A ▁total ▁of ▁ 2 9 ▁bomb ing ▁ra ids ▁dev ast ated ▁some ▁ 4 7 % ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁area , ▁killing ▁ 4 8 3 ▁civ ili ans ▁and ▁leaving ▁over ▁ 4 , 2 0 0 ▁people ▁hom eless . ▁Over ▁ 2 , 6 0 0 ▁people ▁died ▁in ▁Mar ib or ▁during ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁Mar ib or ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁war - dam aged ▁major ▁town ▁of ▁Y ug oslav ia . ▁The ▁remaining ▁German - spe aking ▁population , ▁except ▁those ▁who ▁had ▁act ively ▁supported ▁the ▁resistance ▁during ▁the ▁war , ▁was ▁summar ily ▁exp elled ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁Cro at ian ▁Home ▁Guard ▁members ▁and ▁their ▁relatives ▁who ▁tried ▁to ▁escape ▁from ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁were ▁executed ▁by ▁the ▁Y ug oslav ▁Army . ▁The ▁existence ▁of ▁nine ▁mass ▁gra ves ▁in ▁and ▁near ▁Mar ib or ▁was ▁revealed ▁after ▁Sloven ia ' s ▁independence . ▁ ▁Post - World ▁War ▁II ▁period ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁Mar ib or ▁made