CVIJANOVIĆ: DAY OF THE ENTRY OF SERBIAN ARMY INTO BANJA LUKA IS DAY OF GREAT NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

BANJA LUKA, NOVEMBER 20 /SRNA/ - The entry of the glorious Serbian Army into Banja Luka in 1918 is one of the most significant dates in the history of the city on the Vrbas River, as well as for the Serb people west of the Drina, stated the Serb member of the Presidency of BiH Željka Cvijanović.

"Today we proudly marked the 107th anniversary of this great national achievement, remembering the heroes who won freedom for our people in these lands, a freedom that has always remained our greatest ideal," Cvijanović wrote on Instagram.

The entry of the Serbian Army into Banja Luka in 1918 marked freedom for the Serb people in these areas after centuries of oppression under the Turks and, from 1878, under Austro-Hungarian rule.

During the First World War, around 1.3 million Serbs were killed, almost a third of the population of Serbia at the time.

The 107th anniversary of the entry of the Serbian Army into Banja Luka is being marked by the committees of the Governments of Republika Srpska and Serbia responsible for preserving the traditions of the liberation wars.