The Bihać pocket

The Shelling and Destruction of Bosanska Krupa

On April 22, 1992 the war arrived in the extreme north-western end of the country, Serbian paramilitary troops began shelling the town of Bosanska Krupa while simultaneously launching attacks across the Una River, which flows through both Bosanska Krupa and Bihać, Bosanska Krupa was almost completely destroyed. The Serbs captured the southern part of the town, leaving the Bosniaks only the northern sector.

Bosanska Krupa

United Nations Observers Arrive to a Devastated Town

The first United Nations observers arrived in the area that evening, encountering a desolate scene: the town reduced to rubble, weapons firing everywhere, civilians’ bodies lying in the streets or loaded onto carts, while the survivors were deported to Prijedor and Sanski Most.

Canadian peacekeepers evacuating wounded

Refugee Influx and the Humanitarian Crisis in Bosnian-Controlled Areas

The humanitarian situation was further worsened by the arrival of tens of thousands of displaced Muslims from areas and towns occupied by the Serbs, such as Prijedor, Sanski Most, Banja Luka, Bosanski Novi, and Ključ. These refugees settled in territories still under Bosnian control, and many of the men among them would soon form the first brigades tasked with defending the region.

Map of the "Bihać pocket" in july 1992 from the Bosnian side, note the nomenclature of the very first Bosnian formations from each town "Od TO" (Odred Teritorijalna odbrana): which means group/detachment of territorial defense. North-east-west Serbs from Republika Srpska Krajina (Croatia), in the south Republika Srpska Serbs (Bosnia).

Serbian Fortifications Along the Una River and the Emerging Frontline

Meanwhile, the Serbs began constructing fortified lines and artillery positions along the southern bank of the Una River. This resulted in a frontline approximately 40 km long, stretching from Bosanska Krupa to the Grabež plateau just above Bihać.

Encirclement of the Bihać Region and the Formation of a Pocket

In parallel with the Bosnian Serb forces, the troops of the Republika Srpska Krajina positioned themselves to the north near Velika Kladuša (a town on the border with Croatia, 40 km north of Bihać) and to the south around the disused Željava military airport, on the Plješevica heights, 2 km west of Bihać. This deployment of forces effectively encircled the region, creating a pocket of 1,150 km².

Bosnian Defensive Lines and the Battle to Hold the Northwest

The Bosnian forces responded by entrenching along the western side of the Una Valley and at the passes around Izačić, Velika Kladuša, and Grabež. Despite enormous logistical difficulties, particularly due to the scarcity of weapons, ammunition, and heavy artillery, the Bosniaks managed to establish a solid and resilient front, which would represent the only stronghold of the Republic of Bosnia in the northwestern region of the country.