SIMIĆ: RISTIĆA GAJ SACRED PLACE FOR REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

DOBOJ, JUNE 6 /SRNA/ – It was emphasized today at Ristića Gaj near Doboj, during the commemoration of the 34th anniversary of the beginning of the Corridor breakthrough, that the 1992 Corridor of Life operation would not have been possible without the patriotic spirit, unity, and solidarity that characterized the Republika Srpska Army /RSA/.

Retired Colonel and former commander of the Doboj Operational Group, Milivoje Simić, said he was proud to stand at a sacred place for Republika Srpska, from which united forces set out 34 years ago to break the land and air blockade and liberate the area.

"We succeeded because we advanced toward Derventa in a united, organised, and courageous manner," Simić said, adding that Ristića Gaj and Krnjin must remain recorded in history and be remembered by future generations.

Milenko Milačak from Velika Bukovica, who joined the breakthrough operation at the age of 27, recalled the campaign with pride while expressing sorrow for fallen comrades.

"When we learned that our babies in Banja Luka had no oxygen, it gave us even greater determination," Milačak said.

A member of the Krnjin Brigade, Žarko Vasić from Jelanjska, said he lost his son, brother, brother-in-law, and four relatives during the operation. Nevertheless, he stressed that the operation had been necessary because, otherwise, there would have been no future for Serbs in the region.

He emphasized the importance of preserving Republika Srpska.
Envoy of the Minister of Labour, War Veterans and Disabled Persons Protection of Republika Srpska, Zoran Benak, spoke about the circumstances that preceded humanitarian operation "Corridor of Life", for which enormous sacrifices were made and which significantly shaped the future territorial map of Republika Srpska.

Deputy Mayor of Doboj Dijana Kalenić said that commemorations such as this demonstrate that these events have not been forgotten and help pass on the truth about the war events to younger generations.

A memorial service and wreath-laying ceremony were held at a monument in Ristića Gaj, in the Opsine area of Doboj, bearing the names of 445 fallen Serb soldiers from the Krnjin region.

Among those attending were Deputy Prime Minister of Republika Srpska Anđelka Kuzmić, National Assembly member Danijel Jošić, Deputy Minister of Defence in the BiH Council of Ministers Aleksandar Goganović, and members of the Third Infantry /Republika Srpska/ Regiment.

Representatives of war veterans organisations and local political party committees also attended the commemoration.

The immediate catalyst for the military operation, which is the Republika Srpska Army's most humanitarian wartime achievement, was the death of 12 newborn babies in a Banja Luka maternity hospital due to a lack of medical oxygen.

The military operation Operation Corridor 92 was conducted from June 14 to June 28, 1992, in the Posavina region by forces of the First Krajina Corps, the East Bosnia Corps, and the police of Republika Srpska Krajina, under the command of General Momir Talić.

According to data from the Republic Research Centre of War, War Crimes, and Tracing Missing Persons, 877 members of the Republika Srpska Army, 15 members of the Republika Srpska Police, and 17 members of the police of the Republika Srpska Krajina were killed during Operation Corridor 92.