HEROISM AND PATRIOTISM OF PEOPLE OF ILIDŽA SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN

EAST NEW SARAJEVO, APRIL 27 /SRNA/ - An academy was held today at the Cultural Center of East New Sarajevo as part of the multi-day event "Days of the Defense of Ilidža 2025," aimed at preserving the memory of the heroism and patriotism for which the people of Ilidža are recognized, and with the desire to pass on the true human values that characterized the population and fighters of Srpska Ilidža to younger generations.

The president of the Veterans' Organization "Ilidža Fighter," Goran Šehovac, told reporters that the event "Days of the Defense of Ilidža 2025" is organized from April 22 to May 14, in memory of the first and second attacks on wartime Ilidža, with both cases seeing the municipality preserved through the heroic struggle of the Serbian armed forces. He reminded that during the Patriotic Defense War, 1,068 soldiers of the Republika Srpska Army and members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs laid down their lives to defend Ilidža, among them 560 soldiers from the Ilidža Brigade, which defended its territory from attacks coming from Sarajevo, Hrasnica, and Igman. "This municipality contributed significantly to the creation of Republika Srpska. This academy is an opportunity for us to gather, for our commanders, comrades, and children to come. It is an opportunity to remind ourselves of those difficult days. I always say that April 22 is a beautiful day because we succeeded in defending ourselves, but also the saddest day, as we lost 12 soldiers on that day," said Šehovac. Miroslav Lučić, a former member of the Republika Srpska Army, said that such academies are an opportunity for everyone to remember those who gave their lives for the defense of Srpska Ilidža and Republika Srpska. "It was the beginning of the war, when the units were not yet organized, and the Republika Srpska Army had not yet been formed. It was crucial for Serbian patriots, the people of Ilidža, to go to the defense lines, resist, and in this way protect civilians, elderly people, children, women, and our territory where the Serbian population was in the majority," said Lučić. The mayor of East Ilidža, Marinko Božović, said that courage, heroism, and nobility are the military virtues and true qualities of the Serbian fighter, and these certainly apply to the members of the Ilidža Brigade within the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps. He emphasized that the memory of them must be preserved. "The gathering of survivors, families of fallen soldiers, and taking care of these groups is something that this local community does, but more needs to be done," said Božović. He said that peace and stability are priceless and that Republika Srpska must be preserved. "We have Republika Srpska, which is our guarantee and what was secured for us in Dayton. Regardless of the damage we, Serbs from Sarajevo, suffered by losing territory, we must protect it as best as we can and in a responsible manner, showing patriotism just like the 'Ilidža Fighter' by commemorating important dates. This is the way to show patriotism in peace," said Božović. Actor Aleksandar Stojković also attended the academy. On Tuesday, April 22, the 33rd anniversary of the first attack on Ilidža was commemorated at the Memorial Church of Saint Dimitrius in Veljine in East Ilidža. Twelve Serbian fighters were killed in the attack, and eight were taken from an armored transporter on the airport runway, for which no one has yet been held accountable.