Gotovina et al Judgement Volume I - ICTY

38970Special Police’s 4th auxiliary axis of operation during Operation Storm, 2596 testified thatlate in the evening of 7 August 1995 he came to Donji Lapac to report to Sačić that hisunit had linked up near Udbina with the 9th Guards Brigade, which was part of theGospić MD. 2597 In Donji Lapac that evening, he observed that the police station, whichhe believed was also the command building, had received several direct hits and that upto ten buildings, including the local hotel, and a transport truck that had been hit at thevery entrance to the town, were on fire. 2598 While in the town, the witness was invited toattend a coordination meeting of all Special Police unit commanders scheduled for 10 or11 a.m. the following morning, and also spent time with his unit’s rocket artillerybattery. 2599 At nightfall on 7 August, the witness left the town to travel, under enemyartillery fire, to Bruvno, where most of his unit was located and where he spent the nightfrom 7 to 8 August 1995. He also testified that in the evening of 7 August the SpecialPolice were deployed deep behind the lines toward the village of Boričevac, in DonjiLapac municipality, and part of his unit providing rocket and artillery support for theSpecial Police spent the night of 7 to 8 August 1995 in the area of Boričevac. 2600 On themorning of 8 August 1995, the witness attended the coordination meeting to which hehad been invited, which was held in a building near a church and the school inBoričevac, and which Markač, Sačić, and most of the Special Police commandersattended. 2601 That day, the witness’s unit completed its task by reaching the border withBosnia-Herzegovina, after which it received orders to withdraw back to Zagreb, whichit did in the early afternoon of 9 August 1995. 2602 By the end of 9 August 1995, all unitsof the joint forces had left the general area of Donji Lapac. The witness thought that hisunit travelled through Udbina and Plitvice, in Korenica municipality, on its way back toZagreb. 2603609. Željko Sačić, chief of the Special Police sector of the MUP during and afterOperation Storm, 2604 testified that around 7 a.m. on 7 August 1995, Sačić followed the2596 D1833 (Zoran Cvrk, witness statement, 13 May 2009), p. 1, paras 1-2, 17; Zoran Cvrk, T. 25330-25332, 25367-25369, 25422, 25427, 25466.2597 Zoran Cvrk, T. 25378, 25455-25456, 25258-25459.2598 Zoran Cvrk, T. 25378-25379, 25456, 25258-25459.2599 Zoran Cvrk, T. 25378-25379.2600 Zoran Cvrk, T. 25379, 25458.2601 Zoran Cvrk, T. 25379, 25457.2602 Zoran Cvrk, T. 25377, 25379-25380.2603 Zoran Cvrk, T. 25380.2604 Željko Sačić, T. 27597, 27875, 27946.345Case No.: IT-06-90-T 15 April 2011 `