During World War II it was part of the Axis Independent State of Croatia (NDH), where the fascist Ustaše regime committed the Genocide of the Serbs and the Holocaust.

In August 1941 on the Eastern Orthodox Elijah's holy day, who is the patron saint of Bosnia and Herzegovina, between 2,800 and 5,500 Serbs from Sanski Most and the surrounding area were killed and thrown into pits which had been dug by the victims themselves.

[3] The State Anti-fascist Council for the National Liberation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ZAVNOBiH) held its second meeting from 30 June to 2 July 1944 in the town; it declared the equality of Muslims (Bosniaks), Serbs and Croats.

The Bosnian Serb soldiers played a game in which they would attempt to shoot the Bosniak civilians mid-air whilst they were falling into the water.

Branko Basara, the retired commander of the 6th Krajina Brigade was also indicted by the ICTY for war crimes that he committed in the Prijedor and Sanski Most area during 1992.

Jadranko Palija, a Bosnian Serb soldier responsible for the massacre, was convicted of war crimes by the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2007.

Una-Sana  Central Bosnia Posavina  Herzegovina-Neretva Tuzla  West Herzegovina Zenica-Doboj  Sarajevo Bosnian Podrinje Canton 10