DODIK: JUNE 4 REMAINS LASTING SCAR ON PALE AND SARAJEVO-ROMANIJA REGION

BANJA LUKA, JUNE 3 /SRNA/ - President Milorad Dodik stated that June 4, 1992, when 45 Serb fighters were treacherously killed in a gorge in Žepa in an ambush set for them by Muslim perpetrators despite a prior agreement, remains a dark date for Pale and the Sarajevo-Romanija region.

"Our brave fighters set out for Žepa on a noble and humanitarian mission to deliver food, water and medical supplies to 13 comrades guarding the radio relay facility on Mount Zlovrh.

Despite a prior agreement guaranteeing the peaceful passage of the convoy, the treacherous ambush carried out by Muslim forces demonstrated the cruelty and brutality of those who never respected promises, agreements or human lives", Dodik told SRNA ahead of the 34th anniversary of the deaths of 45 Serb soldiers in Žepa.

Dodik reminded that on June 4, 1992, Pale was plunged into mourning, with almost every household losing a family member or loved one.

"It is a day of grief, sorrow and remembrance, but also a day on which we pay special tribute to men who gave their lives while trying to help their fellow fighters. Each of those 45 names represents a life cut short and a family left without a son, father, brother or husband. Their sacrifice must never be reduced to a number or consigned to oblivion. It is a lasting pledge to preserve the truth about Serb suffering and to nurture a culture of remembrance as a foundation of national dignity and pride", Dodik stressed.

He said that four days after their deaths, on the day of the funeral on June 8, 1992, while the wails of grieving mothers and relatives echoed through the streets of Pale, Muslim criminals once again showed that nothing was sacred to them, cowardly attacking and attempting to break through at Trebević, knowing that the lines were weakened because most fighters were attending the funeral of their comrades killed in the gorge at Žepa.

"Knowing that the lines had been weakened because many fighters were attending the funeral of their comrades killed in the Žepa gorge, Muslim forces launched a major infantry assault in the Vidikovac area and surrounding elevations, seeking to breach the line and advance toward Pale", Dodik reminded.

According to him, news of the attack reached Serb fighters during the funeral, prompting them to leave the cemetery and move directly to positions on Trebević to stop the advance.

"Had it not been for their swift reaction, the consequences for Trebević, Pale and the wider Romanija area could have been far-reaching. Although they suffered losses, Serb forces managed to regroup and push the attackers back to their original positions, preventing the planned breakthrough toward Pale", Dodik emphasized.

Dodik described the battle as one of the bloodiest fought in the area during the early months of the war.

"On June 8, 1992, the day of the funeral for the 45 soldiers, another 14 fighters were killed on Trebević. The loss of 59 Serb soldiers in just four days, during the first months of the Homeland-Defense War, was a tremendous blow to Pale and surrounding communities. Today, 34 years later, we honor their courage and determination to defend their people and their homes in difficult and decisive times", Dodik pointed out.

Dodik stressed that their sacrifice was built into the foundations of Republika Srpska and serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving its institutions and unity.

"Eternal glory and gratitude to the 45 Serb heroes who perished in Žepa and the 14 who fell defending Trebević. Their names and sacrifice live on in the memory of the Serb people. They remain a lasting reminder that freedom was never given, but paid for dearly with the lives and sacrifices of the best among us", Dodik said.