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of the motorway; the hostile forces south of the intersection line were thrown back to
the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while a considerable part of the West Slavonian
Corps and many civilians were encircled at Pakrac north of the intersection line. 85 Th ese
forces surrendered on 4 May 1995 at 1400 hours. Altogether 1200 Serbian soldiers were
taken prisoner in the second phase of Operation Flash. 86 Serbian civilians wishing to
cross into Bosnia&Herzegovina were permitted to do so. 87 During the operation the SVK
demonstrated the real threat strategy. Retaliatory rocket attacks followed on Croatian
cities. In the attack on Zagreb fi ve persons were killed and 203 wounded. 88
Aft er the success of Operation Flash the Croatian forces did not rest idle. Th ey
continued to advance towards Livno-Bosansko Grahovo in Operation Skok-2 (Leap-2).
Its objective was the continued routing of Serbian forces, the breakthrough at Mount
Šator and, on Mount Dinara, gaining control of the Crvena Zemlja ridge in order to
bring Bosansko Grahovo and the Bosansko Grahovo - Glamoč communication within
fi ring range. Committed to the operation were the 4 th Guards Brigade as the main force,
supported by the HVO 3 rd Guards brigade, the 126 th Home Guard Regiment, the 1 st
Croatian Guards Task Force (HGZ), part of the HV 1 st Guards Brigade and units of the
Herceg-Bosna special police. 89
Th e Croatian successes on Mount Dinara did not suit the international community.
At the meeting between General Gotovina and the commanding offi cer of the UN forces
for Sector South, General Rastislav Kotil, held on 20 March 1995, the “blue helmet”
commander asked General Gotovina to use his infl uence and have the HVO forces
withdraw from the northern part of Livanjsko Polje. 90 Aft er the Croatian forces had
gained control of the Crvena Zemlja ridge in Operation Leap-2, and advanced within
fi ring range of Bosansko Grahovo and the Bosansko Grahovo - Glamoč communication,
the UN repeated its request on 20 March. At the meeting held on 12 June 1995 General
Kotil proposed to General Gotovina to withdraw the HVO from its positions on Mount
Dinara; in return, the Krajina Serbs would pull back their weapons into depots as
provided for by the Zagreb Agreement of 29 March 1994. 91
85 HDA, RSK: RSK, GŠ SV; str. conf. no. 3-212 of 2 May 1995; Special operational report.
86 MORH, Command of the Flash Military-Police Force; cl. str. conf. 200-01/95-156/08, reg. no. 3315-01/4-
95-26 of 4May 1995. GSHV, cl. str. conf. 80-01/95-01/12, reg. no. 512-06-10-95-92. IZM GSHV of 10 May
1995.
87 MORH, GSHV: Bjelovar CD Command, IZM Daruvar; cl. 80-01/95-01, reg. no 1077-95-34 of 9 May 1995;
GSHV War Diary, pp. 114, 122-128.
88 HDA, RSK: RSK, GŠ SV; str. conf. 3-212 of 2 May 1995; Special operational report. HDA, RSK: RSK, GŠ
SV; str. conf. no. 3-219 of 3 May 1995; Special operational report. F. Tuđman, “Pet godina hrvatske pobjede”
(Five Years of Croatian Victory), 15. Th e Večernji List daily (Zagreb) reported on March 2007: “In the attack
on Zagreb on 2 and 3 May 1995 seven civilians (listed by full name) were killed and 176 wounded; Zagreb
was hit by 23 missiles - the Children’s Hospital in Klaićeva, the Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Grammar
School in Križanićeva were among the buildings hit.” Cf. Damir Luka Saft ić, “Kod Šoštarićeve prvi trg
civilnim žrtvama” (Th e First Square Honouring Civilian Victims at the Corner of Šoštarićeva St.”), Večernji
list, 8 March 2007, 26.
89 SVA MORH, ZZPS: Split Corps District, cl. str.conf. 8/95-01/01; reg. no. 1080-o1-95-88 of 1 June 1995;
Attack order.
90 SVA MORH, ZZPS: ZPS, IZM Zadar; cl. str. conf. 80-02/95-01/01, reg. no. 1080-03-95-05 of 20 March
1995 Information.
91 SVA MORH, ZZPS: ZPS, IZM Zadar; cl. 032-01/95-01/01; reg. no. 1080-03-95-372 of 12 June 1995; Report.
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