Zadar marks 23rd Anniversary of Operation Maslenica

The delegations of the Croatian Armed Forces and of the Police Directorate of the Croatian Ministry of the Interior, headed by the Commander of the Croatian Army, Lieutenant General Mate Ostović, the delegation of the President of the Republic, headed by the Advisor to the President for the war veterans issues , Ante Deur, the delegation of the Croatian Parliament, headed by the Speaker, Željko Reiner, the representatives of the local governments and of Zadar, Zagreb, Vukovar and Petrinja, the representatives of the associations of the Croatian defenders and other invitees  laid wreaths at the Central Cross in the Zadar City Cemetery and paid tribute to the fallen defenders in the Operation.

The delegations also paid respects at the Memorial Monument of the 3rd Battalion of the 4th Guards Brigade (Sokolovi) in Zadar.

Traditionally the Anniversary of the Operation Maslenica is marked by the parade of the participating units through the streets of Zadar, and a mass served for the fallen Croatian defenders  in the Church of Sv. Šime.

The Military and Police Operation “Maslenica“ was launched on 22 January 1993 as one of the first liberating operations by the Croatian Army and the Ministry of the Interior and a turning point of the  Homeland War. The Operation engaged all three services of the Croatian military and liberated the area of some 100 square kilometres of the occupied territory within 72 hours. “Maslenica“ was of critical importance for the defence of Croatia and for the subsequent operations by the Croatian Army and the Police.