1992 Yugoslav People's Army column incident in Tuzla

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1992 JNA Column Ambush in Tuzla
Part of the Bosnian War
DateCirca 7:00 PM, 15 May 1992
Location
Tuzla, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Result

Bosnian tactical victory

  • JNA Column largely destroyed
Belligerents
 Bosnia and Herzegovina  FR Yugoslavia
Commanders and leaders
Niko Juric
Ilija Jurišić		 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Mile Dubajić
Units involved
Bosnian Army
Tuzla Brigade		 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia JNA
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 92nd Motorised Brigade
Strength
~3,000 soldiers Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ~215–600 Soldiers,
200 Vehicles
Casualties and losses
1 civilian killed
2 policemen wounded
(Bosnian claim)[1]		 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 92-200 killed,
33 wounded,
140 captured[2][unreliable source]

The 1992 Yugoslav People's Army column incident in Tuzla was an attack on the 92nd Motorized Brigade of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) in the Bosnian city of Tuzla on 15 May 1992. The incident occurred at the road junction of Brčanska Malta. At least 92 soldiers of the JNA were killed and 33 wounded during the attacks, with estimates reaching 200 killed. What started off as a peaceful retreat by agreement with local authorities but ended in an ambush when Patriotic League, Green Berets and Bosniaks from local police attacked the column.[3][unreliable source][neutrality is disputed] It was a repeat of a similar incident that occurred in Sarajevo a week prior.[4][irrelevant citation]

Background[]

When the Bosnian War broke out in April 1992, there were four types of federal and Serb armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These were; the Yugoslav people's Army (JNA), volunteer units raised by the JNA, Bosnian Serb Territorial Defense (TO) detachments, and Bosnian Serb Ministry of Internal Affairs Police (MUP).[5] With the withdrawal of the JNA from Slovenia and much of Croatia, by early April 1992 the JNA in western Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina had around 100,000–110,000 troops, equipped with about 500 tanks, 400 medium artillery pieces, 48 multiple rocket launchers, and 350 120 mm mortars. In addition, the JNA had 120 fighter-bombers, 40 light helicopters and 30 transport helicopters. The Bosnian Serb MUP totalled about 15,000, including active, special and reserve police.[6] From March 1991, the leaders of Bosniak-based Party of Democratic Action (SDA) had been developing an armed force called the "Patriotic League of People's" or Patriotic League, and despite an arms embargo, weapons began to be issued in August 1991. By April 1992, the Patriotic League numbered around 40,000 troops, in nine regional commands, one of which was reportedly headquartered in Tuzla.[6]

When the war broke out, the Bosnia and Herzegovina TO was mobilised, but the JNA refused to return its weaponry, which it had confiscated in 1990. Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats had already left the JNA.[7] The priority for the JNA was the security of its bases, as this had proven to be a vulnerability during the Battle of the Barracks in Croatian War of Independence.[8] At the beginning of April, a number of towns in north-eastern Bosnia fell in quick succession to a combination of JNA, Serb volunteer and Bosnian Serb forces. These included Bijeljina,[9] Zvornik,[10] Višegrad,[11] and Foča.[12] On 15 April, Bosnian MUP and TO seized the arms, ammunition and equipment of the Tuzla Regional TO in the towns of Srebrenik, Lukavac and in Tuzla itself.[13] By the end of the month, the Bosnian Government had re-organised the Bosnia and Herzegovina TO, incorporating the troops of the Patriotic League. In total, the new force had around 100,000 men, but only about 40,000–50,000 small arms and virtually no heavy weapons.[14]

Attack[]

On 15 May 1992, the JNA withdrew from its Tuzla barracks in a column of vehicles. After an attempt to leave at 14:00, the convoy was stopped at a checkpoint by elements of the Bosnia and Herzegovina TO, and was sent back to the barracks. The column left the barracks again at 19:00, heading north-east towards Bijeljina via the Brčko road. The lead vehicle contained the commander of the JNA garrison, Lieutenant Colonel Mile Dubajić, and his vehicle was followed by one containing members of the Bosnia and Herzegovina TO. When the convoy reached the intersection with the road leading east to Simin Han, it came under small arms fire from members of the Bosnia and Herzegovina TO.[citation needed]

According to an indictment issued by the Office of the War Crimes Prosecutor of the Republic of Serbia in the District Court of Belgrade War Crimes Chamber on 9 November 2007, at least 92 members of the JNA were killed in the attack on the convoy, a further 33 were wounded, and a number of military vehicles, including ambulances, were also destroyed. The names of those killed and wounded in the attack were listed in the indictment.[15]

Later developments[]

Years later, the Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor's Office indicted former head of Tuzla public security, an ethnic Croat[16] Ilija Jurišić, on suspicion that he committed a war crime by allegedly ordering the attack. The case was dismissed before Bosnian courts.[17] He was arrested at the Belgrade Airport in May 2007 and was found guilty of improper battlefield conduct in 2009 and sentenced to 12 years in prison.[4] In October 2010, an appeals court later overturned the sentence.[18] The Belgrade Appeals Court ordered a re-trial and released him from detention.[18][19] Tuzla citizens have continued to express their support for Ilija Jurišić.[20] Subsequently, Jurišić was welcomed by a large crowd upon his return to Tuzla on 11 October 2010 after his sentence was overturned.[21] The re-trial was held and he was sentenced again to 12 years in prison.[19] On 2 April 2015, an appeal commenced against the result of the re-trial.[22] In March 2016, his conviction was again overturned.[23]

The city of Tuzla celebrates 15 May as "City Liberation Day". When interviewed in May 2002, former Tuzla mayor Selim Bešlagić stated about the holiday "No one is forced to celebrate 15 May; I will celebrate on my own if necessary, because I stayed alive and because I helped that many people stay alive."[citation needed]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "SELIM BEŠLAGIĆ I MEŠA BAJRIĆ O 15. MAJU 1992. GODINE, May 15, 2020". Stav. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  2. ^ "24 years since Izetbegović paramilitaries massacred retreating JNA troops in Tuzla". 16 May 2016.
  3. ^ "ZLOČIN BEZ KAZNE Milunović: "Napad na kolonu JNA u Tuzli - pucanj u mir u BiH"".
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Serbia jails Bosnian Croat for 1992 war crimes". Reuters. 28 September 2009.
  5. ^ CIA 2002, p. 129.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b CIA 2002, p. 130.
  7. ^ CIA 2002, p. 135.
  8. ^ CIA 2002, pp. 136–137.
  9. ^ CIA 2002, pp. 135–136.
  10. ^ CIA 2002, pp. 137–138.
  11. ^ CIA 2002, p. 138.
  12. ^ CIA 2002, pp. 138–139.
  13. ^ CIA 2002, p. 165.
  14. ^ CIA 2002, p. 143.
  15. ^ Ilija Jurišić Indictment.
  16. ^ "Jutarnji list - Nakon tri i pol godine iz beogradskog zatvora pušten bosanski Hrvat Ilija Jurišić" (in Croatian). Jutarnji.hr. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  17. ^ "Barašin: "Predmeti 'Tuzlanska kolona' i 'Bradina' i dalje aktivni"". 24 Sata. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b Gec, Jovana (12 October 2010). "Sentence for ex-Bosnian officer overturned". Associated Press.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b "Opet 12 godina za tuzlansku kolonu (Again 12 Years for Tuzla Column)". b92.net. B92. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  20. ^ "Protest in Support of Ilija Jurisic". Balkan Investigative Reporting Network. 19 October 2009. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  21. ^ "Jurisic given hero's welcome in BiH". SETimes. 12 October 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  22. ^ "Ilija Jurišić u Beogradu, odbrana traži oslobađanje" [In Belgrade, the defence seeks the release of Jurišić]. E-novine.com. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  23. ^ "Serbia Acquits Bosnian Policeman of Yugoslav Army Attack". 7 March 2016.

Sources[]

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