MEMORIAL SERVICE HELD IN BELGRADE FOR FIGHTERS KILLED IN MITROVDAN BATTLES

BELGRADE, NOVEMBER 7 /SRNA/ - A memorial service was held today at the Church of Saint Sava in Vračar for Serb fighters killed in the 1992 and 1994 Mitrovdan battles.

The service, organized by the Association of Nevesinje Natives in Belgrade, was conducted by priest Lazar Manigoda, with the participation of the mixed choir of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Belgrade.

Zoran Janjić, president of the Association of Nevesinje Natives in Belgrade, said that those who traditionally gather at the Church of Saint Sava on Mitrovdan memorial Saturdays had once again expressed their gratitude and paid their respects to the fallen.

"We have reaffirmed that we will never allow freedom-loving Nevesinje and the heroes who gave their lives for its freedom to fall into oblivion, that their memory remains alive and will live on forever," Janjić said.

In addition to family members of fallen and deceased members of the Nevesinje Brigade and the organizers, the memorial service was attended by representatives of Herzegovinian hometown associations in Belgrade, as well as veterans of the Nevesinje Brigade and the Herzegovina Corps of the Republika Srpska Army.

The first Mitrovdan battle began on November 8, 1992, with a general offensive by joint Croatian and Muslim forces from the Neretva Valley, under the command of the Croatian Defense Council /HVO/ and with the support of Croatian Army units, against the positions of the Nevesinje Brigade.

The Croatian and Muslim forces counted on a guaranteed victory, believing that the Nevesinje Brigade was unprepared because some of its fighters were away celebrating Mitrovdan /St. Demetrius Day/. They also relied on their numerical superiority.

However, the operation ended in defeat due to the heroic resistance of members of the Nevesinje Brigade and their comrades-in-arms from the Herzegovina Corps and other units that came to their aid.

A total of 42 Serb fighters and officers were killed in these battles, while around 100 others were wounded, some seriously and others less seriously. Enemy casualties were much higher.

The second Mitrovdan battle was fought from November 11 to 13, 1994, thwarting a plan by the Fourth Corps of the so-called Army of BiH to sow chaos within the Nevesinje Brigade by infiltrating sabotage groups, and then force it to retreat through a frontal assault.

The attempt failed, as Muslim forces suffered heavy losses and were dealt another defeat.

During this battle, 21 Serb fighters were killed, four were captured, and around 60 fighters and officers of the Nevesinje Brigade were wounded.

The Mitrovdan battles hold a special place in the collective memory of the 1992-1995 Defensive-Patriotic War.

The Veterans' Organization of Republika Srpska celebrates Mitrovdan as its patron saint's day, while Nevesinje marks it as Municipal Day.