▁with ▁a ▁Cro at ian ▁military ▁off ensive ▁known ▁as ▁Operation ▁Storm ▁cr ushing ▁the ▁Cro at ian ▁Ser b ▁re bell ion ▁and ▁causing ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Ser bs ▁to ▁fle e ▁the ▁country . ▁The ▁Bos n ian ▁War ▁ended ▁that ▁same ▁year , ▁with ▁the ▁Day ton ▁Ag re ement ▁div iding ▁the ▁country ▁along ▁eth nic ▁lines . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 – 9 9 , ▁a ▁conflict ▁in ▁Kos ovo ▁between ▁the ▁Y ug oslav ▁Army ▁and ▁Alban ians ▁seeking ▁independence ▁er upt ed ▁into ▁full - out ▁war , ▁resulting ▁in ▁a ▁ 7 8 - day - long ▁NAT O ▁bomb ing ▁campaign ▁which ▁effectively ▁drove ▁Y ug oslav ▁security ▁forces ▁from ▁Kos ovo . ▁Sub sequently , ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Ser bs ▁and ▁other ▁non - Al ban ians ▁fled ▁the ▁province . ▁On ▁ 5 ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁Y ug oslav ▁President ▁S lob od an ▁Mil ose vić ▁was ▁over th rown ▁in ▁a ▁blood less ▁revol t ▁after ▁he ▁refused ▁to ▁admit ▁defeat ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁Y ug oslav ▁general ▁election . ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁nearly ▁ 8 ▁million ▁Ser bs ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁Western ▁B alk ans . ▁In ▁Ser bia ▁( the ▁nation ▁state ), ▁around ▁ 6 ▁million ▁people ▁identify ▁themselves ▁as ▁Ser bs , ▁and ▁const itute ▁about ▁