Battle of Pofalići

Battle of Pofalići
Part of The Siege of Sarajevo and The Bosnian War
Date 16 May 1992 Location Pofalići, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Result ARBiH victory
Belligerents
Army of Republika Srpska	Army of Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Commanders and leaders
Mirko Jović	Dževad Topić "Topa" Enis Srna
Units involved
Army of Republika Srpska (1992-1995) White Eagles Vukodlaci (Paramilitary)	1st Corps
Strength
1,700	550

The Battle of Pofalići (Bosnian:Bitka za Pofaliće/Pofalićka bitka) was a strategic military victory of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and military failure of VRS that took place on the 16th of May, 1992 in the town of Pofalići, Sarajevo.

Pre-Battle

On May 16th, 1992, the Battle of Pofalići, codenamed "Grom" (Lightning), took place in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a decisive battle for Sarajevo. The plan of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) was to cut through Sarajevo via Novo Sarajevo, connecting the Žuč - Pofalići line with the barracks Maršal Tito, where the remains of the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) were still located, and with occupied Grbavica, which is 500 meters away from the barracks. In the early dawn of May 16th, one hour before the VRS launched action, the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was ready, went into action and prevented an attempt that would have determined the course of the war in a different direction. Although less armed, the ARBiH succeeded in defeating the VRS and prevented a complete blockade of Sarajevo.

Conflict

Two Pofalići and Velešići detachments of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in cooperation with parts of the First Sarajevo Detachment, a group of fighters from Buča Potok, a special unit of the MUP of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a unit of the Military Police and smaller groups of fighters from other parts of Sarajevo. The Buča Potok detachment was tasked with preventing the withdrawal of Bosnian Serbian forces across Obad. The fighters of the ARBiH were opposed by the Pofalići Brigade of the VRS, which numbered about 1,700 members including the paramilitary formation "Beli Orlovi"(English:White Eagles) with 380 members and about 100 Serbian policemen and a group of the paramilitary formation "Vukodlaci"(English:Warewolves). After a good start on the main direction of the attack, in which the well-equipped strike groups with anti-tank weapons eliminated the bunkers and fortified positions of the Serbian forces on the stretch from the reservoir and playground towards Humski brdo and enabled the advance of the Velešići Detachment in that direction, and the advance of the Pofalići Detachment in the direction of the attack II, around 11 o'clock there was a certain pause in the battle.

The anti-tank strike groups in the directions of the Velešići and Pofalići II detachments withdrew from the battle, and the attack of the Pofalići Detachment I was stopped by machine gun fire from a strong Serbian stronghold near the Cvijetić bakery. However, JNA General Baroš did not have the courage to take the unit out of the Marshal Tito barracks which would have definitely decided the battle. Afterwards, a strike group from the Juke Prazina Special Unit commanded by Samir Pezo was introduced into the fight.

The Pofalići I detachment finally destroyed the enemy fortification and made a breakthrough near the Cvijetić bakery. On the main line, the Velešići detachment continued its advance along the Pofalići ridge, while the Pofalići II Detachment continued its advance on its attack direction towards the "Blue Store". Soon, the squad commanders met at the Čangalovića fountain site, and operations continued towards Orlovačka Street and the position of the besieged 3rd Company of the Pofalići I Detachment. At those positions, the attack was stopped.

Conclucsion

Under the cover of darkness, the remaining Bosnian Serb forces, together with the majority of the population from the part of the settlement they controlled, left Pofalići via Žuč, and some of them took off their uniforms and managed to escape via Dolac Malta to Vraca. During the night, there were big problems in keeping the forces on the reached lines and organizing a new line of defense. The liberated positions were guarded by a small number of Pofalići fighters. If they had known this, the soldiers of Laza Bojanić during the night could have easily regained their lost positions in a counter-offensive. The battle for Pofalići was won. Its importance was great. Although by all elements it represents a combat effect of the tactical level, in relation to the overall position of the defense of Sarajevo, it also had an operational-tactical significance in a certain sense. From a psychological point of view, the fact that a clear victory liberated a significant territory that the defenders managed to keep under their control was of great importance, which was the first success of its kind on the Sarajevo battlefield since the beginning of the war.