Battle for Vozuća

Battle for Vozuća (Bosnian: Bitka za Vozuću) was an attack by the 3rd Corps of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 10 September 1995 against the strategically important village of Vozuća, in the municipality of Zavidovići during the Bosnian War. This area was held by rebel Bosnian Serb forces since 1992, which had committed war crimes against 21 Bosniak civilians.[1][2]

Battle for Vozuća
Part of Bosnian War
Vozuća Sarajevo Location of Vozuća
Date 27 May – 10 September 1995 Location Vozuća Result ARBiH victory
Belligerents
Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina	Army of Republika Srpska
Commanders and leaders
Refik Lendo Muatez Billah	Unknown
Units involved
2nd Corps 3rd Corps Bosnian mujahideen Black Swans	3rd Ozren brigade 4th Ozren brigade Srbac brigade
Strength
19,000 (including ~500 foreign fighters)	5,000
Casualties and losses
~129 killed	~614 ~60 captured

The attack

Ozren Mountains, September-October 1995

The attack itself, was carried out by the El Mudžahid Detachment of the 3rd Corps, they also were accompanied by some regular members of the ARBIH.[3][4] The attack was planned already in May 1995 and had three phases which were carried out. The first one was called "Crveni lav" (Red Lion) and the main goal in this operation was to cut the communication of the VRS in Vozuća. They succeeded and pushed the Serb forces. The second part of the operation was called "Battle for pride". The goal was to prepare refugees from Srebrenica and Žepa to move into the area after it was liberated. It was planned but after the attack, only a small group of people arrived at the destroyed Vozuća area.[5][6]

Final phase

Everything was ready and the final attack code named "Uragan" (English: Hurricane). The attack started on 10 September and ended the same day with the total victory of the Bosnian forces. They used very good planning and were ahead of the Serb forces. The Army and the Mujahideen got help from a special military force called Black Swans.[1] The aftermath of the battle is infamous for the brutal behaving of the Mujahideen forces against left soldiers and civil population. The Bosnian forces continued advancing through the Ozren area.[7]

References

1. "Slobodna Bosna, War crimes: "Vozuca case", six years later, 9/13/01". Retrieved 14 January 2015.
2. "Balkan battlegrounds / - Library of Congress". Retrieved 14 January 2015.
3. Library Information and Research Service, "The Middle East", Index Page 31
4. ICTY transcript, September 24 2007 Archived April 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
5. "Slobodna Bosna, War crimes: "Vozuca case", six years later, 9/13/01". Retrieved 14 January 2015.
6. Battle for Vozuća - The Afghan-Bosnian Mujahideen Network in Europe
7. "SLOBODNA DALMACIJA, ETVRTAK 27. rujna 2001. - teme dana". Retrieved 14 January 2015.

Further reading

• Balkan Battlegrounds: A Military History of the Yugoslav Conflict, Volume 1. Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Russian and European Analysis. 2002. ISBN 978-0160664724.