LINTA: SRPSKA FORCES AND PEOPLE HALTED CROATIAN ADVANCE 31 YEARS AGO

BELGRADE, SEPTEMBER 19 /SRNA/ – President of the Union of Serbs from the Region Miodrag Linta stressed that the Republika Srpska Army and the Serb population achieved a major victory 31 years ago by stopping Croatian aggression against Republika Srpska.

Linta reminded that Croatia launched Operation Una on September 18 and 19, 1995, in the areas of Novi Grad, Kozarska Dubica and Kostajnica, with the aim of advancing deeper into Republika Srpska territory. He said Croatian forces attempted to cross the Una and Sava rivers, establish bridgeheads and open the way for a further advance toward Prijedor and Banja Luka. "However, members of the Republika Srpska Army and the local population managed to stop the Croatian advance and, by the following day, September 19, force Croatian units to withdraw to their initial positions. Croatian forces suffered heavy personnel losses," Linta stated. He added that Operation Una had tragic consequences, particularly for civilians in the affected areas, according to a statement from the Union of Serbs from the Region. "Indiscriminate artillery shelling of populated areas and fighting near civilian zones resulted in casualties and extensive material damage in Novi Grad, Kozarska Dubica and Kostajnica," Linta reminded. According to him, Operation Una remains an important chapter in the history of the defense of Republika Srpska because it prevented a Croatian advance toward Prijedor and Banja Luka. "That is why it is our duty to preserve the memory of all fallen soldiers and civilians and to pass the truth about their suffering on to future generations. Remembering the victims is not a call to hatred, but a lasting obligation to ensure that the truth is not forgotten and that similar crimes are never repeated," Linta said. He stressed that the fighting by Serb soldiers, as well as the suffering of Serb civilians for which, he said, no one had been held accountable, must never be forgotten. According to data from the Republika Srpska Memorial Center, 104 people were killed on the Serb side - 54 soldiers and police officers and 50 civilians, including many women, elderly people and children.