Siege of Slunj | |||||||
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Part of the Croatian War of Independence | |||||||
Fall of Slunj under JNA | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
SAO Krajina | Croatia | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Željko Ražnatović | Anton Tus | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Yugoslav People's Army Serb Volunteer Guard |
Croatian Army Croatian Defence Forces | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
4.000 | 2.000 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
60 killed | 150 killed |
The siege of Slunj was an armed conflict in the territory of the municipality of Slunj in 1991.[1] year in which HV were armed on one side, and Serbs and JNA were armed on the other.[2] It was also the largest Croatian enclave that was separated from the rest of Croatia.[3] Over 16,000 Croats were expelled from that enclave. After JNA took Slunj.[4]
The battle for Slunj in 1991 was part of a wider conflict during the war in Croatia, specifically within the operations conducted by the JNA forces against the HV. At the beginning of October 1991, the tactical group of the JNA launched an attack from the area of Ličko Petrovo Selo towards Slunj. From October 9 to 10, the JNA forces made an initial breakthrough. During late October and early November, JNA units continued to advance towards Slunj, putting pressure on HV. Shots were fired in the city, the HV fought to hold Slunj, but they did not succeed, and the JNA entered deeper and deeper into the city, in a panic over 16,000 Croats fled from that enclave to Bosnia. On November 16 Slunj fell. Between November 16 and 18, JNA forces continued their advance, capturing additional territories and enclosing a Croatian pocket area. By November 27, JNA forces managed to completely capture Slunj enclave, leading to its fall.
The fall of Slunj represented a significant loss for the Croatian army, while for the Serbian Army this was a strategic success that enabled further operations in the region.