Operation Koridor
Encyclopedia
Operation Corridor an operation by the Army of Republika Srpska
against the joint forces of the Croatian Defence Council
and Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
that started in June 1992 and ended in July the same year. The goal of the operation was to connect the two parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina that were already under control of Republika Srpska
. The operation was a Serbian success while the Croatian forces suffered heavy casualties.
The operation was part of the wider escalation of war and capture of the region of Bosanska Posavina by the Serb forces. They committed numerous war crimes that were later examined by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
.
, the Army of Republika Srpska
(VRS) was in control of much of the western regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and much of the eastern part of the country, but the two parts of Republika Srpska were disconnected by a crucial corridor in the northeast of the country. There, the forces loyal to the government of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
, the Croatian Defence Council
(HVO) and the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
(ARBiH), maintained control over most of the region of Bosanska Posavina, which is the name of the Bosnian part of the region that is the lowland by the right bank of the river Sava.
To the north of Bosnian Posavina, the Croatia
n parts of Posavina in Slavonia
(on the left bank of the Sava) were mostly controlled by the Croatian Army forces (except for SAO Western Slavonia
). According to data published by General Martin Špegelj
, there were eight HVO brigades and fifteen Croatian army brigades in Bosanska Posavina, most of the brigades were present during the whole operation. Some of the brigades were backed up with artillery and tanks. In March 1992, before the Bosnian war was in full swing, the Sijekovac killings happened south of Bosanski Brod
. On April 17, 1992, Bosanski Šamac was seized by Republika Srpska military forces. In April, Serb forces started the Doboj massacre
and Bijeljina massacre
in these nearby cities. On May 7, 1992, the city of Brko came under the control of Republika Srpska. In the beginning of May 1992, all of the west-east roads that connected two parts of Republika Srpska were cut. The last road between the two parts was cut on May 15, 1992. In May, twelve newborn babies in the Banja Luka
hospital died due to the lack of oxygen caused by the blockade. On May 15, 1992, the Yugoslav People's Army
(JNA) evacuated its barracks in Tuzla
, and engaged in a battle with ARBiH known as the Tuzla column case. On May 20, 1992, United Nations Security Council Resolution 755
was passed, whereby the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
was admitted to the UN. A number of other resolutions related to the war and extending UNPROFOR mandate were passed around the same time, but the attention was mostly on the Siege of Sarajevo
. JNA were to withdraw all officers and troops that are not from Bosnia, but in practice these forces largely morphed into VRS, and were able to take over at least 60 per cent of the country.
until June 28 (Vidovdan).
The action Koridor started on June 14, 1992 when members of VRS 16th Motorized Brigade under the command of Milan Čekeletić started attacking the Southern part of Derventa
front. The clashes intensified on June 24 when the strong artillery led ARBiH to believe that VRS is trying to capture Tuzla
. ARBiH then engaged 16 brigades, five motorized and eleven infantry. Motorized brigades were made from the members of regular Croatian army.
On June 26, soldiers from the VRS 1st Krajina corpus and the Eastern Bosnian Corpus met in the villages of Kornica and Čardak, located between Modriča
and Šamac, thereby connecting the two parts of Republika Srpska.
Fighting continued in July 1992 as the VRS captured Modriča (June 28), Derventa
(July 7), and Odžak (July 13).
. During the operation, according to official data there were 293 killed and 1,129 wounded members of VRS and RSK army, and according to unchecked sources there were 1,224 killed and 6,240 wounded members of the HVO but for the period from April to October 1992. In Prosecutor v. Simić et al, the ICTY prosecution alleged Blagoje Simić
, Miroslav Tadić and Simo Zarić were responsible for a number of war crimes committed against non-Serb population in Bosanski Šamac. The prosecution's specific claim of ethnic cleansing
of was not confirmed by the Trial Chamber.
In the initial indictment of Prosecutor v. Radovan Karadžić
and Ratko Mladić
, the ICTY prosecution alleged the two were responsible for the destruction of various towns and villages in the area, including but not limited to Derventa, Bosanski Brod and Odžak.
Army of Republika Srpska
The Army of Republika Srpska ; Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian Vojska Republike Srpske ) also referred to as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of today's Republika Srpska which was then the "Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina", a self-proclaimed state within the internationally recognized...
against the joint forces of the Croatian Defence Council
Croatian Defence Council
The Croatian Defence Council was a military formation of the self-proclaimed Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia during the Bosnian War.-History:...
and Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the military force of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina established by the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992 following the outbreak of the Bosnian War...
that started in June 1992 and ended in July the same year. The goal of the operation was to connect the two parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina that were already under control of Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
. The operation was a Serbian success while the Croatian forces suffered heavy casualties.
The operation was part of the wider escalation of war and capture of the region of Bosanska Posavina by the Serb forces. They committed numerous war crimes that were later examined by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
.
Background
In the summer of 1992, during the Bosnian warBosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
, the Army of Republika Srpska
Army of Republika Srpska
The Army of Republika Srpska ; Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian Vojska Republike Srpske ) also referred to as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of today's Republika Srpska which was then the "Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina", a self-proclaimed state within the internationally recognized...
(VRS) was in control of much of the western regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and much of the eastern part of the country, but the two parts of Republika Srpska were disconnected by a crucial corridor in the northeast of the country. There, the forces loyal to the government of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the direct main predecessor to the modern-day state of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, the Croatian Defence Council
Croatian Defence Council
The Croatian Defence Council was a military formation of the self-proclaimed Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia during the Bosnian War.-History:...
(HVO) and the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the military force of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina established by the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992 following the outbreak of the Bosnian War...
(ARBiH), maintained control over most of the region of Bosanska Posavina, which is the name of the Bosnian part of the region that is the lowland by the right bank of the river Sava.
To the north of Bosnian Posavina, the Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n parts of Posavina in Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
(on the left bank of the Sava) were mostly controlled by the Croatian Army forces (except for SAO Western Slavonia
SAO Western Slavonia
SAO Western Slavonia or Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Western Slavonia was a Serbian self-proclaimed autonomous region within Croatia. It was formed on 12 August 1991 and was subsequently included into Republic of Serbian Krajina...
). According to data published by General Martin Špegelj
Martin Špegelj
Martin Špegelj was the second Defense Minister of Croatia and, later, the chief of staff of the newborn Croatian army and inspector-general of the army. His efforts to organize and equip the army from scratch were seen as instrumental in helping Croatia survive the first year of the Croatian War of...
, there were eight HVO brigades and fifteen Croatian army brigades in Bosanska Posavina, most of the brigades were present during the whole operation. Some of the brigades were backed up with artillery and tanks. In March 1992, before the Bosnian war was in full swing, the Sijekovac killings happened south of Bosanski Brod
Bosanski Brod
Brod also known as Bosanski Brod is a town and municipality located on the south bank of the river Sava in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the north-western part of the Republika Srpska and the western part of the Posavina region.-Name:Prior to the Bosnian War it...
. On April 17, 1992, Bosanski Šamac was seized by Republika Srpska military forces. In April, Serb forces started the Doboj massacre
Doboj massacre
The Doboj massacre refers to war crimes, including murder, wanton destruction and ethnic cleansing, committed against Bosniaks and Croats in the Doboj area by the Yugoslav People's Army and Serb paramilitary units from April until October 1992 during the Bosnian war...
and Bijeljina massacre
Bijeljina massacre
The Bijeljina massacre refers to the killings of Bosniaks by the Serbian paramilitary group Arkan's Tigers during the Bosnian war. A number of Serbs who attempted to stop the massacre were also killed. At least 48 civilians were killed. Local courts have not filed a single war-crimes indictment...
in these nearby cities. On May 7, 1992, the city of Brko came under the control of Republika Srpska. In the beginning of May 1992, all of the west-east roads that connected two parts of Republika Srpska were cut. The last road between the two parts was cut on May 15, 1992. In May, twelve newborn babies in the Banja Luka
Banja Luka
-History:The name "Banja Luka" was first mentioned in a document dated February 6, 1494, but Banja Luka's history dates back to ancient times. There is a substantial evidence of the Roman presence in the region during the first few centuries A.D., including an old fort "Kastel" in the centre of...
hospital died due to the lack of oxygen caused by the blockade. On May 15, 1992, the Yugoslav People's Army
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army , also referred to as the Yugoslav National Army , was the military of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.-Origins:The origins of the JNA can...
(JNA) evacuated its barracks in Tuzla
Tuzla
Tuzla is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time of the 1991 census, it had 83,770 inhabitants, while the municipality 131,318. Taking the influx of refugees into account, the city is currently estimated to have 174,558 inhabitants...
, and engaged in a battle with ARBiH known as the Tuzla column case. On May 20, 1992, United Nations Security Council Resolution 755
United Nations Security Council Resolution 755
United Nations Security Council Resolution 755, adopted without a vote on May 20, 1992, after examining the application of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina for membership in the United Nations, the Council recommended to the General Assembly that Bosnia and Herzegovina be admitted...
was passed, whereby the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the direct main predecessor to the modern-day state of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
was admitted to the UN. A number of other resolutions related to the war and extending UNPROFOR mandate were passed around the same time, but the attention was mostly on the Siege of Sarajevo
Siege of Sarajevo
The Siege of Sarajevo is the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Serb forces of the Republika Srpska and the Yugoslav People's Army besieged Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996 during the Bosnian War.After Bosnia...
. JNA were to withdraw all officers and troops that are not from Bosnia, but in practice these forces largely morphed into VRS, and were able to take over at least 60 per cent of the country.
Offensive
In the middle of June 1992, general Momir Talić, the commander of the VRS 1st Krajina Corps, gave Novica Simić the order to break the corridor across TrebavaTrebava
-References:...
until June 28 (Vidovdan).
The action Koridor started on June 14, 1992 when members of VRS 16th Motorized Brigade under the command of Milan Čekeletić started attacking the Southern part of Derventa
Derventa
Derventa is the name of a town and municipality of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the northern part of Republika Srpska just northwest of the town of Doboj, in the Posavina region...
front. The clashes intensified on June 24 when the strong artillery led ARBiH to believe that VRS is trying to capture Tuzla
Tuzla
Tuzla is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time of the 1991 census, it had 83,770 inhabitants, while the municipality 131,318. Taking the influx of refugees into account, the city is currently estimated to have 174,558 inhabitants...
. ARBiH then engaged 16 brigades, five motorized and eleven infantry. Motorized brigades were made from the members of regular Croatian army.
On June 26, soldiers from the VRS 1st Krajina corpus and the Eastern Bosnian Corpus met in the villages of Kornica and Čardak, located between Modriča
Modrica
Modriča is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Republika Srpska entity. It is located near the towns of Šamac, Derventa and Doboj...
and Šamac, thereby connecting the two parts of Republika Srpska.
Fighting continued in July 1992 as the VRS captured Modriča (June 28), Derventa
Derventa
Derventa is the name of a town and municipality of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the northern part of Republika Srpska just northwest of the town of Doboj, in the Posavina region...
(July 7), and Odžak (July 13).
Aftermath
Three months later, on October 6, 1992, the Serbian forces captured Bosanski BrodBosanski Brod
Brod also known as Bosanski Brod is a town and municipality located on the south bank of the river Sava in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the north-western part of the Republika Srpska and the western part of the Posavina region.-Name:Prior to the Bosnian War it...
. During the operation, according to official data there were 293 killed and 1,129 wounded members of VRS and RSK army, and according to unchecked sources there were 1,224 killed and 6,240 wounded members of the HVO but for the period from April to October 1992. In Prosecutor v. Simić et al, the ICTY prosecution alleged Blagoje Simić
Blagoje Simic
Blagoje Simić is a Serbian war criminal who is sentenced by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for his crimes during the Bosnia war...
, Miroslav Tadić and Simo Zarić were responsible for a number of war crimes committed against non-Serb population in Bosanski Šamac. The prosecution's specific claim of ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing is a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic orreligious group from certain geographic areas....
of was not confirmed by the Trial Chamber.
In the initial indictment of Prosecutor v. Radovan Karadžić
Radovan Karadžic
Radovan Karadžić is a former Bosnian Serb politician. He is detained in the United Nations Detention Unit of Scheveningen, accused of war crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats during the Siege of Sarajevo, as well as ordering the Srebrenica massacre.Educated as a...
and Ratko Mladić
Ratko Mladić
Ratko Mladić is an accused war criminal and a former Bosnian Serb military leader. On May 31, 2011, Mladić was extradited to The Hague, where he was processed at the detention center that holds suspects for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia...
, the ICTY prosecution alleged the two were responsible for the destruction of various towns and villages in the area, including but not limited to Derventa, Bosanski Brod and Odžak.