Attack on Vrnograč
The Attacks on Vrnograč also known as Operation Vrnograč 95, was a series of skirmishes and clashes in the area of Vrnograč, Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian and Inter-Bosnian Muslim War. The series of clashes happened due to the ARBiH's harm on civilians after the NOZB under command of Fikret Abdić had attacked the town and captured it, forcing ARBiH to retreat to Bužim and Bihać.[1][2]
| Operation Vrnograč | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Bosnian War and Inter-Bosnian Muslim War | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia |
 Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Fikret "Babo" Abdić |
Atif Dudaković Izet Nanić | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
 NOZB
|
 ARBiH | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
200–500 |
300–800 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
Unknown |
77 killed 15 wounded | ||||||||
|
50–100 civilians killed Hundreds displaced | |||||||||
Prelude
[edit]Before June 1995, the town was occupied by ARBiH, who killed civilians who supported the NOZB and destroying houses and infrastructure and displacing hundreds of civilians,[citation needed] for around a year. The ARBiH kept this town under their control, mostly the 5th Corps under General Atif Dudaković. During Operation Spider, the 1st Velika Kladuša, 2nd Cazin and 3rd Vrnograč brigades played a major role in reestablishing Western Bosnia.[3] In mid-May Abdić ordered an attack to re-take the small town, starting Operation Vrnograč.[4][5]
The Operation
[edit]In May, NOZB started raiding the town. Fighters began by taking a few houses and a store, coming down day after day and taking more and more. Civilians aided the NOZB in advancing further in a series of firefights. The NOZB managed to repel the ARBiH counter offensive on the town without suffering any casualties, forcing the unit to retreat to Bihać and Bužim. In an interview the day after the battle, the Deputy Commander of the 2nd Brigade, Admil Mulalić said that the ARBiH was mistreating citizens, destroying factories and houses, displacing hundreds and hundreds, after losing the battle. Once Vrnograč fell into the hands of NOZB on 21 June, a Serbian reporter asked whether the town was safe, and Mulalić said that ARBiH has no remaining ways of again entering Vrnograč and that the village is safe, but that ARBiH still constantly will continue their small shelling over the night. He also stated that Abdić will pay to fix the factories and the houses, and will make sure all displaced citizens will safely return to the town.
Aftermath
[edit]The town of Vrnograč had been held by the NOZB for a long time and had become one of the main strongholds for the small country, Mulalić also said soon enough Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia will become an Republic, and that day by day they are advancing further together with help of the VRS. Afterwards, the town was re-taken by ARBiH in Operation Storm.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ Balkan Battlegrounds: A Military History of the Yugoslav Conflict, 1990-1995. Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Russian and European Analysis. 2002. p. 295. ISBN 978-0-16-066472-4.
- ^ Fotini 2008, p. 467.
- ^ Balkan Battlegrounds: A Military History of the Yugoslav Conflict, 1990-1995. Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Russian and European Analysis. 2002. p. 531. ISBN 978-0-16-066472-4.
- ^ Balkan Battlegrounds: A Military History of the Yugoslav Conflict, 1990-1995. Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Russian and European Analysis. 2002. p. 294. ISBN 978-0-16-066472-4.
- ^ Fotini 2008, p. 466.
- ^ CIA 2002.