Operation Sana
Encyclopedia
Operation Sana was the last military operation undertaken by the Bosnian Army during the Bosnian War
. It was undertaken in October 1995, in the series of general counteroffensives by Bosnian
and Croatia
n forces following Operation Storm
. After successful initial phases, Operation Sana ended because the Dayton Agreement
was signed, ending the war.
, where Bosnian forces (ABiH's Fifth Corps, five brigade
s strong) were surrounded and besieged
by Serb forces since the war begun in 1992. In mid-1995, joint Croatian Serb and Bosnian Serb forces, aided by Fikret Abdić
's secessionists, launched an offensive to take the area, but were repulsed. Still the pocket was in danger of falling and the international community feared a repeat of the Srebrenica massacre
there. This was one of the reasons the Croatian Army was given a green light to retake Serb areas in Croatia in Operation Storm
, in which the Fifth Corps participated. Once Storm was completed, the Bihać pocket was relieved from the west and the north and the Bosnian forces there could start their own counteroffensives aimed eastwards over the Sana River
.
in sight.
s via helicopters.
continued and the ARBiH was asked to stop all their offensive operations until an agreement was reached.
The war ended on the same day with the Dayton Agreement
being reached. As a result of the operation, the area of Sanski Most is today part of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
, as opposed to the Republika Srpska
.
Bosnian 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...
. It was undertaken in October 1995, in the series of general counteroffensives by Bosnian
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and 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 forces following Operation Storm
Operation Storm
Operation Storm is the code name given to a large-scale military operation carried out by Croatian Armed Forces, in conjunction with the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to gain back control of parts of Croatia which had been claimed by separatist ethnic Serbs, since early...
. After successful initial phases, Operation Sana ended because the Dayton Agreement
Dayton Agreement
The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement, Dayton Accords, Paris Protocol or Dayton-Paris Agreement, is the peace agreement reached at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio in November 1995, and formally signed in Paris on...
was signed, ending the war.
Before the battle
The Bihać pocket was an area of northwest Bosnia centered around the city of BihaćBihac
Bihać is a city and municipality on the river Una in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Bosanska Krajina region. Bihać is located in the Una-Sana Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
, where Bosnian forces (ABiH's Fifth Corps, five brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s strong) were surrounded and besieged
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
by Serb forces since the war begun in 1992. In mid-1995, joint Croatian Serb and Bosnian Serb forces, aided by Fikret Abdić
Fikret Abdic
Fikret Abdić is a politician and businessman from Bosnia and Herzegovina, convicted of war crimes against Bosniaks in the region of Velika Kladuša....
's secessionists, launched an offensive to take the area, but were repulsed. Still the pocket was in danger of falling and the international community feared a repeat of the Srebrenica massacre
Srebrenica massacre
The Srebrenica massacre, also known as the Srebrenica genocide, refers to the July 1995 killing, during the Bosnian War, of more than 8,000 Bosniaks , mainly men and boys, in and around the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by units of the Army of Republika Srpska under the command of...
there. This was one of the reasons the Croatian Army was given a green light to retake Serb areas in Croatia in Operation Storm
Operation Storm
Operation Storm is the code name given to a large-scale military operation carried out by Croatian Armed Forces, in conjunction with the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to gain back control of parts of Croatia which had been claimed by separatist ethnic Serbs, since early...
, in which the Fifth Corps participated. Once Storm was completed, the Bihać pocket was relieved from the west and the north and the Bosnian forces there could start their own counteroffensives aimed eastwards over the Sana River
Sana river
Sana is a river in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a tributary of the Una, into which it flows near Novi Grad. It is longest of the nine rivers that flows through Sanski Most....
.
Day 1: October 10
The operation started at 3:00 A.M. on October 10, 1995. ABiH's Fifth Corps successfully crossed the river Sana by 4:00 A.M. and by 5:00 P.M. the ARBiH forces had the city of Sanski MostSanski Most
Sanski Most is a town and municipality in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located on the Sana River in Bosanska Krajina, between Prijedor and Ključ. Administratively it is part of the Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
in sight.
Day 2: October 11
The ARBiH encircled VRS forces in Sanski Most and their positions were bombed throughout the day. Serb forces responded by launching counterattacks, including air assaultAir assault
Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces...
s via helicopters.
Day 3: October 12
The civilians left the city in masses. The ARBiH began to move into parts of the city. The city was fully captured within 9 to 10 hours. The Fifth Corps of the ARBiH placed their new Headquarters in the "Sana Hotel" in the city.Day 4: October 13
The peace talks in Dayton, OhioDayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
continued and the ARBiH was asked to stop all their offensive operations until an agreement was reached.
The war ended on the same day with the Dayton Agreement
Dayton Agreement
The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement, Dayton Accords, Paris Protocol or Dayton-Paris Agreement, is the peace agreement reached at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio in November 1995, and formally signed in Paris on...
being reached. As a result of the operation, the area of Sanski Most is today part of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two political entities that compose the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The two entities are delineated by the Inter-Entity Boundary Line...
, as opposed to the 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...
.