Siege of Slunj explained

Conflict:Siege of Slunj
Place:Slunj, Croatia
Partof:the Croatian War of Independence
Date:9 October 1991 — 27 November
Result:SAO Krajina victory
  • JNA takes Slunj and surrounding villages
  • Croatian forces withdraw
  • Over 16,000 Croat civilians expelled
Combatant1: SAO Krajina
Support by:
Yugoslavia
Combatant2: Croatia
Commander1: Željko Ražnatović
Commander2: Anton Tus
Units1: Yugoslav People's Army

Serb Volunteer Guard

Units2:Armed Forces of Croatia

Croatian Defence Forces

Casualties1: 30 killed
Casualties2: 100 killed
Strength1:4.000
Strength2:2.000

The Siege of Slunj was an armed conflict in the territory of the municipality of Slunj in 1991 during the Croatian War of Independence.[1] It was fought between the Croatian Army (HVO) on one side, and the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) on the other.[2] It was the largest Croatian enclave that was separated from the rest of Croatia during the conflict.[3] After the JNA took over Slunj, over 16,000 Croats were expelled from the enclave and hundreds were murdered in war crimes during the occupation until the end of the war.[4] [5]

The battle

The battle for Slunj in 1991 was part of a wider conflict during the war in Croatia, specifically within the operations conducted by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) against the Croatian Army (HVO). At the beginning of October 1991, the tactical group of the JNA launched an attack from the area of Ličko Petrovo Selo towards Slunj. From 9-10 October, the JNA made an initial breakthrough. During late October and early November, JNA units continued to advance towards Slunj, putting pressure on the HVO. Shots were fired in the city, the HVO fought to hold Slunj, but they did not succeed, and the JNA entered deeper into the city, resulting in a panic in which over 16,000 Croats fled from the enclave to Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 16 November, Slunj fell. Between 16-18 November, JNA forces continued their advance, capturing additional territories and enclosing a Croatian pocket area. By 27 November JNA forces managed to completely capture the Slunj enclave, leading to its fall.

Aftermath

The fall of Slunj represented a significant loss for the HVO, while for the Serbian Army of Krajina this was a strategic success that enabled further operations in the region.

During the Serb occupation of Slunj and surrounding areas until 1995, 297 Croat civilians were killed in several war crimes, most victims were the elderly, women and children.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Balkan Battlegrounds: A Military History of the Yugoslav Conflict . 2002 . Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Russian and European Analysis . 978-0-16-066472-4 . 103 . en.
  2. Web site: 2022-11-16 . Slunj se sjeća 1991., dan kad su JNA i četnici ušli u grad, a Slunjani izgnani . 2024-06-22 . Radio Mrežnica . hr.
  3. SLUNJ 1991.god. . 2019-11-14 . Butina . Vlado . 2024-06-22 . YouTube.
  4. Web site: Narod.hr . 2021-11-16 . 16. studenog 1991. Slunj – pad grada i egzodus 16.000 Hrvata . 2024-06-22 . narod.hr . hr.
  5. Web site: Marinić . Borna . 2020-11-16 . The Occupation of Slunj . 2024-07-08 . Domovinski rat . en-GB.