Remembrance Day for Victims of Croatian Operation Storm Marked in Loznica

Photo: Serbian Presidency/Dimitrije Goll

On Aug. 3, a commemoration on Remembrance Day for those killed or expelled in the Croatian military and police operation Storm in 1995 was held in Loznica, where Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he guaranteed that there would never again be any persecution of the Serbian people anywhere.

Patriarch Porfirije, head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, held a service at the sports stadium in Loznica. After his address, the Serbian anthem was played and a minute of silence was observed for the victims. Videos of survivors of the operation testifying about the attacks of the Croatian forces were shown. Members of the Serbian cabinet, Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zeljka Cvijanovic attended the commemoration. Dodik said the graves recalled sorrow, and called the monuments in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia "contraptions" and "attempts at new denigration."

Croatia's Operation Storm began on Aug. 4, 1995. Its anniversary is observed as Remembrance Day for the Serb victims in Serbia, and as Victory and Homeland Thankfulness Day in Croatia. Operation Storm began with an attack by Croatian forces on the then-Republic of Serb Krajina. More than 2,000 people were killed or disappeared, while 200,000-250,000 Serbs left the area.

Aug. 5, the day when Operation Storm concluded with Croatian forces entering the almost empty city of Knin and raising the Croatian flag on the Knin fortress, is celebrated as a state holiday in Croatia.