Op Storm anniversary marked

Ceremonies are ongoing to mark 13 years since a Croatian army campaign exiled more than 250,000 ethnic Serbs from that country. The events to mark the anniversary are starting in Banja Luka, organized by the Republic of Srpska (RS) government. Op Storm anniversary marked The Croatian army, police, and Bosnian Croat army, HVO, campaign started on August 4, 1995, and ended four days later. In addition to those exiled, which constitute for the victims of one of the most ruthless ethnic cleansings in the former Yugoslavia, 1,960 Serbs were killed, 1,200 of those civilians. 20,000 Serb-owned houses in Croatia were burned, while others were looted and destroyed. In Croatia, the anniversary is celebrated as a state holiday, dubbed the Victory and Homeland Gratitude Day and Croatian Army Day. Official Zagreb celebrates the onslaught, named Operation Storm, as an event that returned parts of this country's territory held by ethnic Serb rebels under its control. According to Croatian sources, some 31,000 Serb soldiers were pitted against 138,500 members of the Croatian army, police, and HVO. Almost the entire Serb population was driven out of their homes in the areas of military operations in the four days in August in 1995. They were forced to flee in refugee convoys that moved through the Serb-controlled areas in northwestern Bosnia, toward Serbia. Three former Croatian generals are currently standing trial at the Hague Tribunal, charged with Operation Storm crimes: Ante Gotovina, Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac. The UN war crimes indictment against them says that the ethnic cleansing of Serbs was accomplished through murder, imprisonment, deportation, looting and destruction of property.

Op Storm anniversary marked

The Croatian army, police, and Bosnian Croat army, HVO, campaign started on August 4, 1995, and ended four days later.

In addition to those exiled, which constitute for the victims of one of the most ruthless ethnic cleansings in the former Yugoslavia, 1,960 Serbs were killed, 1,200 of those civilians.

20,000 Serb-owned houses in Croatia were burned, while others were looted and destroyed.

In Croatia, the anniversary is celebrated as a state holiday, dubbed the Victory and Homeland Gratitude Day and Croatian Army Day.

Official Zagreb celebrates the onslaught, named Operation Storm, as an event that returned parts of this country's territory held by ethnic Serb rebels under its control.

According to Croatian sources, some 31,000 Serb soldiers were pitted against 138,500 members of the Croatian army, police, and HVO.

Almost the entire Serb population was driven out of their homes in the areas of military operations in the four days in August in 1995.

They were forced to flee in refugee convoys that moved through the Serb-controlled areas in northwestern Bosnia, toward Serbia.

Three former Croatian generals are currently standing trial at the Hague Tribunal, charged with Operation Storm crimes: Ante Gotovina, Ivan Čermak and Mladen Markač.

The UN war crimes indictment against them says that the ethnic cleansing of Serbs was accomplished through murder, imprisonment, deportation, looting and destruction of property.