Commemorating the anniversary of Operation Maslenica

The commemoration of the anniversary of one of the most important operations in the Homeland War - Operation Maslenica – was held today.

The commemoration of the 33rd anniversary of the military-police operation Maslenica, which began on January 22, 1993 and reconnected the Croatian north and south, began this morning with a march, followed by a marathon at noon. Symbolically, the marathon started at the Maslenica Bridge.

“At noon, 250 runners set off from the Maslenica Bridge, with the finish line in Novigrad. The route, symbolically, passes through areas that were liberated 33 years ago in Operation Maslenica,” Katina Vrsaljko Croatian Radio Television news.

The commemoration began this morning with a prayer march "Steps of Hope into Truth", and the wish was to remember all those who gave their lives in that operation.

“127 Croatian defenders lost their lives in the entire action and these commemorations are for them, so that they will never be forgotten,” concluded Vrsaljko.

Ivana Haberle, president of the association of Women in the Homeland War - Zadar, said that the prayer walk began in 2009, with the intention of walking in the footsteps of our defenders.

“With these steps, we want to foster unity with the people who had to leave their homes during that period, but who returned. With our footsteps, we preserve the connection between heaven and earth and thus foster a culture of remembrance of something that is extremely important for Zadar,” she emphasized.

She emphasized that the route is 25 kilometers long, from Islam Latinski to Islam Grčki and all the way to Pridraga.

“I am one of the hundreds of fellow citizens who were in the blood donation column, I was in the field in 1991 and 1992, and in 1993 due to an extreme lack of personnel I returned to the hospital in Zadar,” she said.

“We are here to honor our victims in a legendary action, which deserves a prayer for all our veterans,” said Miljenko Komes, president of the HVIDR Association Samobor and Sveta Nedelja.

“We are in a period when a major military and police action is being commemorated that was important in our Homeland War. In memory of all those who participated and who gave their lives or are missing in this action, but also in all actions during the Homeland War,” said Damir Habijan, Minister of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation.

Source: HRT