Operation Flash

Controversy simmered on Monday in the wake of media reports at the weekend that the Bosnian state prosecution has asked Croatia if it can take over proceedings against 14 Croatian generals who are reportedly suspected of committing war crimes during the Croatian Army's 1995 Operation Flash.

In 36 hours, 15.000 Serbs were expelled from Western Slavonia, which was part of the then Republika Srpska Krajina and under UN protection, while 283 Serbs were killed.
More than 16.000 members of the Croatian armed forces marched on Western Slavonia on May 1, with about 15.000 inhabitants and 4.000 soldiers.

Zagreb County Court on Tuesday convicted Milan Martic, the former president of an unrecognised wartime Serb rebel statelet called the Republic of Serbian Krajina, and his military chief-of-staff, Milan Celeketic, of staging rocket attacks on Croatian cities in 1995.

Under the first-instance verdict, Martic was sentenced to seven years in prison and Celeketic to 20 years.

On August 5, Croatia marks its Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and the Day of Croatian Defenders with an annual celebration in the southern town of Knin.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic told the ceremony at the Ministry of Defence building in Zagreb on Sunday that the MiG-21 fighter plane was one of the main symbols of Croatia's 1991-95 'Homeland War'.

Plenkovic said that its return after 28 years of quiet diplomacy and government efforts was a mark of honour for all Croatian veterans and their families.

Photo: Profimedia

Monday marks 22 years since the Croatian forces' aggression against Serb-populated areas in Western Slavonia, i.e., the start of Operation Bljesak ("flash").

During the subsequent two days in May 1995, 283 ethnic Serbs were either killed or went missing, including 55 women and 11 children.

Monday marks 22 years since the Croatian forces' aggression against Serb-populated areas in Western Slavonia, i.e., the start of Operation Bljesak ("flash").

During the subsequent two days in May 1995, 283 ethnic Serbs were either killed or went missing, including 55 women and 11 children.

BANJA LUKA - Sunday marks 21 years since the Croatian armed forces attacked western Slavonia in an offensive code-named Operation Flash, which resulted in 283 Serbs, including 55 women and 11 childred, being killed or going missing on May 1-2, 1995.
    

BANJA LUKA - Sunday marks 21 years since the Croatian armed forces attacked western Slavonia in an offensive code-named Operation Flash, which resulted in 283 Serbs, including 55 women and 11 childred, being killed or going missing on May 1-2, 1995.

Milan Martic, the leader of rebel Croatian Serbs in the 1990s, and Milan Celeketic, his military chief-of-staff, will go on trial in absentia next month for rocket attacks on Croatian cities.