NUŽDIĆ: WE MUST REMEMBER BOTH SACRIFICE AND HEROISM OF DEFENSE OF WESTERN KRAJINA

MUNICIPALITIESBANJA LUKA, OCTOBER 27 /SRNA/ - The days marking the defense of the Western Krajina municipalities in October 1995 should serve as a reminder of the sacrifice of the Serb people, but also of the heroism of Republika Srpska's fighters, Viktor Nuždić, acting director of the Republika Srpska Center for Research of War, War Crimes and Search for Missing Persons, told SRNA.

Nuždić pointed out that the determined, superhuman efforts of Republika Srpska's fighters stopped the advance of enemy forces towards Novi Grad, Kostajnica, Gradiška and Dubica, as well as Prijedor and Banja Luka.

"This feat came at a high price: hundreds of soldiers and civilians killed, the fall of 13 Western Krajina municipalities, hundreds of thousands of Serbs driven from their centuries-old homes, and a permanent change in the ethnic structure of Western Krajina," Nuždić said.

He reminded that in the second half of 1995, the Army and police of Republika Srpska found themselves in extremely difficult and complex circumstances.

"Alone against the Croatian Army, trained by American officers, the Croatian Defense Council and the so-called Army of BiH, which included foreign fanatics - mujahideen, the fighters of the Army of Republika Srpska managed to defend Republika Srpska, stop the aggression and enable the political leadership to secure Srpska's international recognition in Dayton," Nuždić said.

He added that the enemy had only one goal - to completely destroy Republika Srpska and wipe out the Serb people from this area, as had previously happened in the Republic of Srpska Krajina.

Nuždić said Republika Srpska is the guarantor of the survival of Serbs in this region.

The Day of Defense of the Western Krajina Municipalities in October 1995 was marked in Prijedor.

After units of the so-called Army of BiH captured Sanski Most on October 10, RSA units halted their further advance towards Prijedor and recaptured part of the territory.