Original scientific paper
War Crimes Committed by Yugoslav Army Units and New Government Institutions During and After the Lika-Primorje Operation
Blanka Matković
; London, Engleska
Abstract
The Lika-Primorje Operation took place in the territory of Lika in March and April 1945, and was held in two phases: the conquest of Eastern Lika and Bihać, and the conquest of Gospić, Perušić, Lički Osik and Otočac. After 7 April 1945, the units of the Fourth Yugoslav Army continued their movement in the territory of the Croatian Primorje (Littoral), and towards Rijeka.In the course of this operation, a significant number of members of the military and civilians were liquidated without trial; the liquidations continued even after April 1945. Available documents indicate to the fact that various units of the Fourth Yugoslav Army, KNOJ and the First Independent Brigade of Lika had most probably committed the crimes. This paper tackles in more detail the liquidations committed in the areas of Gospić, Kaniža, Lički Osik, Otočac and Korenica; on the basis of the available sources, it has been endeavoured to identify the perpetrators of the said crimes. Fifteen graveyards have been registered in the areas of Gospić, Lički Osik, Kaniža, Korenica and Otočac. At the time when the crimes were perpetrated, the most active on these locations were the units of the then 8th Dalmatian corpus; the said units had previously participated in the perpetration of the crimes in Dalmatia and Herzegovina.
Keywords
World War Two and the after-war period; Lika-Primorje Operation; Fourth Yugoslav Army; KNOJ; war crimes
Hrčak ID:
112424
URI
Publication date:
17.12.2013.
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