Battles for Gornje Kolibe

Battles for Gornje Kolibe
Part of the Bosnian War
Date 18 August 1992 Location Gornje Kolibe, Republika Srpska Result Army of Republika Srpska victory[1]
Belligerents
Republika Srpska	Herzeg-Bosnia
Commanders and leaders
Slavko Lisica	Unknown
Units involved
Army of Republika Srpska 1st Krajina Corps	Croatian Defence Council
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
6 killed 18 wounded	Unknown

Battles for Gornje Kolibe is a series of clashes in the municipality of Brod. On August 18, 1992, following the orders of the commander of TG-3, Colonel Slavko Lisica, the members of the 1st Battalion of the Military Police, 1st Krajina Corps managed to take control of the enemy's front lines with heavy losses. Since the neighboring infantry units did not fulfill their part of the task, the commander of the 1st bVP, 1st KK, captain first class Radoslav Lakić decided to return the unit to its initial position.

Operation Corridor, which was successfully carried out by the Army of Republika Srpska, is one of the most significant operations conducted during the Patriotic War. It had its three stages in which the physical connection between the western and eastern parts of the Republika Srpska was achieved, as well as the exit to the northern border of the Republika Srpska - the Sava river. The first two stages were completed even before the planned time, while the third stage was completed 47 days late. Unfortunately, the losses in the 3rd stage were much higher than those in the first two stages^[2]

Trying to fulfill the order to conquer Bosanski Brod, the commander of TG-3, Colonel Slavko Lisica, issued an attack order^[3] on August 16, 1992, in which he named the prominent enemy strongholds of Bijelo Brdo and Kostreš^[4] as the main target of the attack. other places in the main and auxiliary direction of attack.^[5]

The combat mission of the 1st BVP, 1st KK was carried out by carrying out active combat operations for the liberation of Bosanski Brod on the auxiliary direction of the aforementioned attack in the area of the village of Gornje Kolibe, Brod municipality. This task was completed in the period from August 15. until August 21. in 1992. The key day^[6] of heavy fighting was August 18, 1992, when the 1st and 2nd companies, with the cooperation of the anti-terrorist platoon of the 1st bVP, 1st KK, attacked the enemy lines in the area of the village of Gornje Kolibe. Having overcome the defense of the Muslim and Croatian units, the members of the 1st BVP crossed the enemy's fortified line and entered the first houses of the village of Gornje Kolibe. During the fighting in the village, 6 members of the 1st BVP were killed, while 6 were seriously and 12 lightly wounded. The total balance of those ejected from the machine was 26. Although they managed to keep the reached lines at a depth of 1-1.5 kilometers,^[7] the neighboring units did not fulfill their tasks. The commander of the 1st bVP decides to return the unit to its starting position.

On August 18. In 1992, the following members of the 1st bVP, 1st KK were killed:

Lazić Novo - senior sergeant

Đurić Duško - sergeant

Ostojić Oliver - soldier

Marinko Vujanović - soldier

Subasic Spiro - soldier

Zoran Košutić - soldier

Carrying out the task, running in front of his soldiers, without looking left or right, calling the soldiers "just follow me", senior sergeant Lazić Novo from the 2nd company died bravely.^[8] Đajić Zorka^[9] showed enviable courage, poise and self-sacrifice in carrying out this task. The next day, the unit was withdrawn to rest and to the reserve of the commander of TG-3, Colonel Slavko Lisica, and the positions were handed over to the Krnjin Brigade. Kostreš was conquered on August 26, 1992, in one and a half hours.

The monument to the fallen members of the 1st bVP was originally placed on the very site where the fighting took place. It was devastated and damaged several times, so it was eventually moved to its current location in the courtyard of the Unka Local Community. Veterans and members of the UG 1st (11th) battalion of the military police, 1st KK, attend the memorial service every year at the monument to fallen comrades in the village of Unka^[10] next to Gornje Kolibe.