Operation Spider
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Operation Spider (, Операција Паук) were a series of military actions in northwestern Bosnia that began in November 1994 and continued until December 1994. It was a combined effort of
Republika Srpska Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, ; also referred to as the Republic of Srpska or Serb Republic) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities within Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other bein ...
and the Republic of Serb Krajina to recover the territory of the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia (APZB), which was a key ally of the Serbs. Franko SimatovićSpider’s Web by Filip Švarm
/ref> and Jovica Stanišić commanded the offensive. The Bosnian central government had previously overrun and seized the territory. The offensive ended in a Serb victory and the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia remained in existence until the fall of its key ally, the Republic of Serbian Krajina, and the subsequent end of the war.


Background

The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) 5th corps, under Bosnian general Atif Dudaković and Hamdija Abdić, conducted an offensive into the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia on August 21, 1994, and completely overrun the entire province on August 22, 1994. During this offensive, around 40,000
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
s loyal to
Fikret Abdić Fikret Abdić (born 29 September 1939), also known as Babo, is a Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian politician and businessman who first rose to prominence in the 1980s for his role in turning the Velika Kladuša-based agriculture company Agrokomer ...
fled to the Republic of Serbian Krajina.
Fikret Abdić Fikret Abdić (born 29 September 1939), also known as Babo, is a Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian politician and businessman who first rose to prominence in the 1980s for his role in turning the Velika Kladuša-based agriculture company Agrokomer ...
, the former president of the APZB, had already fled to
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
(Republic of Serbian Krajina), where he stayed until his province was liberated and restored.


Prelude

After Abdić’s forces had been defeated and dispersed from their “capital” in August, most of his supporters and former soldiers fled into the RSK, settling in refugee camps in UN Sector North, southeast of
Karlovac Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. In the 2021 census, its population was 49,377. Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located southwest of Zagreb and northeast of Rijeka, and is connected to them via the ...
. On 8 November, UN observers noted that the SVK had begun recruiting able-bodied Muslim males from among the refugees. The SVK was reforming some 4,000–5,000 of Abdić’s troops into three brigades: 1st Velika Kladuša, 2nd Cazin, and 3rd Vrnograč Brigades. On 10 November, the new formations began taking up positions along the RSK border near Velika Kladuša. In actual command of these puppet troops was a newly formed Operational Group “Pauk” (Spider) commanded by SVK Major General Mile Novaković and Serbian State Security Department (RDB) Colonel “Raja” Bozović, a veteran special operations officer. A key deputy of RDB chief Jovica Stanišić, Franko Simatović “Frenki”, oversaw Novaković and Bozović’s work. To stiffen the Abdić units—as well as allied SVK ground forces—Novaković and Božović could call on a bevy of elite Yugoslav Army, Serbian RDB and Serbian Volunteer Guard (SDG) troops.”* Elements of the VJ’s 63rd Airborne Brigade/ Corps of Special Units, plus Simatovic’s “ Red Beret” special operations unit, as well as elements of the SDG—probably about 500 troops combined—were to provide the spearhead for the APWB attack.


Timeline

On 16 November, this new army attacked across the border toward Velika Kladuša. Abdić’s reconstructed force amounted to some 4,000 to 5,000 troops, bolstered by about 2,500 SVK troops in two tactical groups and some 500 Yugoslav Army and Serbian RDB/MUP special operations troops, under the command of SVK Major General Mile Novaković and Serbian RDB Colonel “Raja” Bozović. The few 5th Corps formations put up a stiff defense as the Serb/ NOZB forces lapped around both ARBiH flanks on the north and south sides of Velika Kladuša in an attempt to pinch it off. During the first two weeks of December, SVK/ NOZB forces led by the Serbian special operations troops hammered 5th Corps positions and inched forward against a tenacious defense. The Serb commanders’ objective remained to force the ARBiH from the town with a pincer movement rather than a frontal assault. On 15–16 December the joint Serb/ NOZB units seized key high ground overlooking the main 5th Corps supply line into the town. This forced the remaining ARBIH troops to withdraw to avoid being cut off and annihilated. By 17 December Velika Kladuša was under Serb/ NOZB control. Although battles were to continue throughout the enclave for over a week—until the implementation of the nationwide cease-fire negotiated by former US President
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
—the fall of Velika Kladuša was the last major action of the campaign.


Aftermath

The aftermath of this operation left the 5th Corps still encircled by the APZB, the Republic of Serbian Krajina, and the Republika Srpska. This encirclement continued until
Operation Storm Operation Storm ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Operacija Oluja, separator=" / ", Операција Олуја) was the last major battle of the Croatian War of Independence and a major factor in the outcome of the Bosnian War. It was a decisive victory f ...
, when the Republic of Serbian Krajina—a key ally to the APZB—was defeated in August 1995, marking a huge turning point for the
Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...
and
Croatian War of Independence The Croatian War of Independence) and (rarely) "War in Krajina" ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Рат у Крајини, Rat u Krajini) are used. was an armed conflict fought in Croatia from 1991 to 1995 between Croats, Croat forces loyal to the Governmen ...
. The APZB had no strength to take on the Bosnian Army, and were completely overrun by the 5th Corps in just one day, with Velika Kladuša being taken when
Operation Storm Operation Storm ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Operacija Oluja, separator=" / ", Операција Олуја) was the last major battle of the Croatian War of Independence and a major factor in the outcome of the Bosnian War. It was a decisive victory f ...
ended on August 7, 1995. Operation Spider and Operation Storm left many towns forever destroyed and ruined, most of which were on the frontlines of the conflict. There are about 8 ruined towns in the area: 3 next to Bihać, 1–2 next to Velika Kladuša, and 2–3 in the middle of the area.


References


Sources

* * * * {{Yugoslav wars Conflicts in 1994 Military operations of the Bosnian War December 1994 in Europe 1994 in Bosnia and Herzegovina Army of Republika Srpska Battles of the Bosnian War