Mala Kladuša offensive

The Mala Kladuša offensive were series of fighting between NOZB and ARBiH to re capture villages south of Velika Kladuša. These offensives were after successful Operation Spider in which Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia was re-established, and resulted into successful operation by NOZB and VRS, they had re-captured Velika Kladuša,and as time passed re-established Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia, soon said to become an Republic. In this offencive NOZB took back Mala Kladuša, Podzvizd, Marjanovac, Kumarica, Grahovo and some other villages and several other villages. And later the NOZB also took Vrnograč.

Mala Kladuša offensive
Part of The Bosnian War and Inter-Bosnian Muslim War
NOZB recapturing territory in January and June
Date 17 December 1994 – February 28, 1995 Location Velika Kladuša, Cazin, Mala Kladuša, Podzvizd, Kumanica, Grahovo, Velika Kladuša Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Result Western Bosnia victory The position of Velika Kladuša is more secure Territorial changes National Defence of the APZB and Serbs take Mala Kladuša and surrounding villages
Belligerents
Province of Western Bosnia Army of the Republika Srpska	Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Commanders and leaders
Fikret "Babo" Abdić Franko Simatović "Frenki"	Atif Dudaković Izet Nanić Jasmin Kulenović †
Units involved
National Defence of the APZB 1st Krajina Corps Red Berets Arkan Tigers	ARBiH 5th Corps
Strength
5000 1500	unknown

Prelude

Despite the announcement of a cease-fire in January 1995 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, fighting continues. In the vicinity of Velika Kladuša, the battles of the 5th Corps of the ARBiH with the remnants of Abdić's army and a small group of Serbian elite soldiers "Red Berets" continue. The fighting is mainly in the southern parts of the Cazin Krajina between the ARBiH and the VRS, where the VRS in Operation ''Shield 94'' regains the previously lost territories and comes only 500m from the center of Bihać, under pressure from NATO, the VRS suspends the operation and the final fall is missing Bihać.

Operation Spider

Operation Spider ''94'' was a joint action of the National Security Agency and the SVK for the return of Autonomy. About 5,000 Autonomists, 1,500 fighters of the 21st and 39th Corps of the Armed Forces and about 500 elite fighters of the "Red Berets" were involved in the operation, also a tactical group "Spider" was formed to help the Autonomy led by Major General Mile Novaković.On November 16, 1994, the operation to return Velika Kladuša began. In the next seven days, heavy fighting takes place between the Serbian-autonomous fighters with the 506th, 503rd, 505th, and 517th brigades of the ARBiH, fighting also breaks out in the southern part of the city, where the Serbian-autonomous fighters cut the Velika Kladuša - Cazin road. The UN and NATO are opposed to the help of the Serbian side in the restoration of Abdić's Autonomy, allegedly because of the "no-fly zone", and bombed the SVK airport in Udbina on November 21, 1994. Offensives on Velika Kladuša started in November and ended in December 1994, these were series of fighting to re-claiming the Autonomies Capital city position. Bosnian troops being encircled on most sides, the fighting was relatively easy for the NOZB, they kept fighting from outskirts first, then conducted 3 offensives, first they claimed first they claimed an Government building in the city, then they advanced further to the center and at the end forced ARBiH forces to retreat. In December 1994, the NOZB liberates Velika Kladuša. Even tho city was basically in Ruins, Abdić funded restoration for his small city of Velika Kladuša after successfully, mostly all by himself in this operation, re-took an important city for the Bosniak Muslim forces. On January 1, a truce was signed, which ended the VRS offensive on Bihać, which would later prove to be a big mistake, because Bihać was about to fall, and in the Operation Storm ''95'' it would cause great problems to the Serbian Krajina and the western parts of the RS.

Mala Kladuša offensive

After that started Mala Kladuša offensive. The units of the 5th Corps, led by the 505th Bužim Brigade, leave the city center of Velika Kladuša due to the unfavorable military situation in December. The units of the 5th Corps moved from city fighting to fighting in the mountainous environment in the villages south of Velika Kladuša, which was an aggravating aspect of the battle because the Serbian forces were finally able to intensively use artillery, which they could not use during the city fighting. During further fighting on Prokres Hill, IDČ commander of the 5th Corps of the ARBIH, Jasmin Kulenović "Havarija", was killed. The forces of the 5th Corps stop the further advance of the Serbian and NOZB forces, but not for long. In the second half of December, Serbian - autonomous forces liberate Podzvizd, Elezovice and Šestanovac. After ARBiH stoped the NOZB for a moment, the NOZB and "Red Berets" continues the offensive in January and liberating Mala Kladuša, Marjanovac, Podzvid, Kumarica, Grahovo and some other villages from the ARBiH. This offensive proved to be very good, because the distance between Velika Kladuša and the territory controlled by the ARBiH became twice as far after the NOZB and "Red Berets" January offensives. Until end of February, the "Red Berets" carried out strong attacks and cleared troops of the 5th Corps in the northern part around Podzvizd. During March, the fighting for Podzvizd is reactivated, until March 21, the offensive towards Vrnograč continues, originating in two directions, the beavers last until April, when the NOZB succeeds in liberating several villages on the western side of Vrnograč. Energetic attacks continued in mid-June, and after the expulsion of the 505th and 506th brigades of the ARBiH, on June 21, Vrnograč was liberated and advanced 2km south of that place, and the attack stopped at the well-fortified enemy defense lines. There were no more active combat operations until the beginning of July.