Brčko and Gradačac Offensive

Brčko and Gradačac Offensive
Part of the Bosnian War
Date 1 January — 12 January 1993 Location Brčko, Gradačac, Bosnia and Herzegovina Result Army of Republika Srpska Expanded the Corridor Army of Republika Srpska captures Donji Rahić, Ulice (Brčko) and Vukšić Gornji near Brčko Army of Republika Srpska captures Gornje Ledenice (Pelagićevo) and Donje Ledenice (Pelagićevo) near Gradačac
Belligerents
Army of Republika Srpska	Croatian Defence Council
Commanders and leaders
Momir Talić	Unknown

The Offensive on Brčko and Gradačac was a response by the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) to expand the Corridor near Brčko due to many Croatian Defence Council (HVO) attacks. The HVO forces from the settlement south of Brčko and Orašje aimed to cut off the corridor. At the end of 1992, the focus of the fighting in the Posavina Corridor shifted to its narrowest sector near Brčko. The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) and HVO forces, including units from Orašje, launched several attacks that temporarily cut off the corridor northwest of Brčko. The VRS retaliated with an attack to widen the corridor, succeeding in doing so.

The Events

In 1993, the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) from Posavina finds itself in an awkward position because in central Bosnia, the HVO is waging a war with its former ally, the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH), with the HVO continuing to attack the corridor. The pendulum of fighting over Brčko continued until early 1993, achieving nothing but losses. Immediately on January 1, the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) pushed the HVO to Gradačac and expanded the corridor near Brčko, also occupying several Croatian settlements that were under the control of the HVO. On January 2, HVO forces attacked again and cut the corridor northwest of Brčko. The VRS 1st Krajina Corps and the East Bosnian Corps fought back and fought the local HVO and ARBiH 2nd Corps for ten days along this line before the VRS completely regained their positions. The front lines solidified in a futile exchange of heavy shelling and small arms combat that made Brčko one of the most dangerous sectors in Bosnia, even when it was the most stable.