SEPTEMBER 1995 BATTLES IN WESTERN SRPSKA WERE DECISIVE

NOVI GRAD, SEPTEMBER 17 /SRNA/ – A decisive battle for the western borders of Republika Srpska was fought in September 1995, when the municipalities of Novi Grad, Kostajnica and Kozarska Dubica were defended through the efforts of the Republika Srpska Army and the local population, participants said at a roundtable in Novi Grad marking the anniversary of those events.

Slobodan Župljanin, president of the Organization of Republika Srpska Senior Army Officers, stressed the importance of having direct participants speak about the events and supported efforts to collect material on the defense of Novi Grad and Kostajnica. "Once we receive several more works, a publication will be issued. It will be the 17th publication we have released," Župljanin told reporters. The roundtable was organized by the Organization of Republika Srpska Army Officers in Novi Grad and Župljanin pointed out that one of the organization's strategic goals was to establish and document what it considers the truth about events from the previous war. Ranko Dabić, who commanded the Novi Grad Brigade at the time, reminded that on Sept. 18 they came under attack by Croatian forces from one direction and by the Fifth Corps of the Army of BiH from another. He said a key factor in repelling the Croatian attack was the Prnjavor Brigade taking up positions and linking with Novi Grad Brigade forces at Kula. "In the area of Podgrmeč, the decisive moment came when, while maintaining our defensive line, we shifted near Novska Mountain to a determined defense and then a counteroffensive," Dabić pointed out. Momir Kovačević, deputy president of the Assembly of the Organization of Republika Srpska Senior Army Officers, said that some of the strongest Croatian forces and the Fifth Corps of the Army of BiH, supported by NATO forces, were involved in the fighting. "Richard Holbrooke acknowledged in his memoirs that he gave the green light for these four municipalities to be taken and for the advance toward Banja Luka to begin," Kovačević said. He said Croatian units involved in the attack included the "Tigers" and "Thunder" brigades, along with Home Guard brigades from the Sisak-Karlovac and Bjelovar-Zagreb areas, while the Fifth Corps attack involved the 517th, 511th and 505th brigades. "At one point on September 17, the Novi Grad Brigade was left alone on the Fifth Corps attack axis, and until September 21 it withdrew toward Novska Mountain, where it switched to a determined defense. That was crucial, because if we had crossed the Sana River, we would not have remained here," Kovačević said. Mirko Šljokavica, who at the time headed the Novi Grad municipal executive committee, said the local authorities provided support to Republika Srpska Army units. "We did everything we could to ensure they were prepared for the attack, whose aim, in our view, was to drive us out," Šljokavica noted. Novi Grad Mayor Miroslav Drljača said the Republika Srpska Army fought an important battle in the area in September 1995 and that the time had come for witnesses to record their memories so younger generations could learn about the events. Speakers at the roundtable, titled "Defense of the Municipalities of Novi Grad and Kostajnica – September 1995," included Colonel Vlado Topić, then commander of the First Tactical Group; Colonel Ranko Dabić, wartime commander of the Novi Grad Brigade and Colonel Vlado Živković, wartime commander of the Prnjavor Brigade.