KOŠARAC: OPERATION STORM WAS THE LARGEST ETHNIC CLEANSING IN EUROPE AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR

ISTOČNO SARAJEVO, AUGUST 3 /SRNA/ - Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Staša Košarac said that the criminal operation Storm remains one of the most tragic events in recent Serbian history and the largest ethnic cleansing in Europe after the Second World War.

Košarac said that, in that atrocity and act of madness, innocent people were killed simply because they were Serbs. "With deep respect, we remember all the innocent Serbs from the Republic of Serbian Krajina who were killed and expelled," Košarac said on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the Croatian military and police operation Storm. He reminded that more than 220,000 of our compatriots were expelled from their ancestral homes, while refugee convoys made up of elderly people, mothers with children and the vulnerable became a symbol of one of the greatest sufferings of the Serbian people in recent history. "Left behind were burned homes, destroyed places of worship, desecrated cemeteries and lives cut short. It is particularly painful that there is still no justice today for this monstrous crime," Košarac stressed. He emphasised that Serbian victims must not be allowed to be forgotten, nor should the truth about their suffering be relativised. "It is of immeasurable importance that Republika Srpska and Serbia, thanks to the policies of Presidents Milorad Dodik and Aleksandar Vučić, are jointly commemorating the Day of Remembrance for all Serbs killed and expelled in Operation Storm. This is not only an expression of respect for our victims, but also a strong message that the Serbian people are united in preserving their history, dignity and freedom," Košarac said. He said that the Serbian people today must be more united than ever. "Let us preserve Srpska, because it is the greatest achievement of our people west of the Drina and the strongest guarantee of our survival, freedom and right to remain masters of our own land," Košarac said on Instagram. The Day of Remembrance for all Serbs killed and expelled in the Croat-Muslim pogrom against Serbs from the Republic of Serbian Krajina and Republika Srpska in 1995 will be marked tomorrow in Banja Luka and Mrkonjić Grad.