Aftermath Operation Corridor 92

map of final stages of operation corridor 92 , subsequent operations in area in late 1992

in mid-october , november 1992, hvo briefly cut brčko corridor south of orašje 2 more times. in turn, vrs launched major offensive against hvo-held bridgehead @ orašje. after initial success, vrs offensive failed , hvo drove attacking force positions had held prior advance. aiming improve security of brčko corridor, units of vrs 1st krajina , east bosnian corps turned south of brčko, , advanced 2 3 kilometres (1.2 1.9 miles) against defences held hvo , arbih. last push widened brčko corridor 3 kilometres @ narrowest point.

during offensive, captured 760 square kilometres (290 square miles) of territory, vrs , allies lost 413 troops killed , further 1,509 wounded. according zovak, hv sustained losses of 343 killed , 1,996 wounded, while hvo lost 918 killed , 4,254 injured during fighting took place in region between april , october. in same period, city of slavonski brod came under bombardment vrs artillery , aircraft. total of 11,651 artillery shells , fourteen 9k52 luna-m rockets fired against city, , 130 bombs dropped air, resulting in deaths of 116 civilians. according german historian of croatian origin, marie-janine calic, vrs used ethnic cleansing break resistance of local population , claim area termed corridor of life because of high strategic value.

at end of october 1992, croatian national defence council commissioned report loss of bosanska posavina. found front had major strategic role in binding strong vrs forces , prevented detachment other parts of country. however, commission concluded there no unified political , military objective in bosanska posavina , defence burdened internal conflicts , accusations. found chain of command did not operate intended, @ times commanders @ lower levels received instructions without knowledge of higher command. counterintelligence agencies criticized ineffective, while rumors betrayal had negative impact on morale of army, accused fifth column . according former croatian prime minister josip manolić report indicated responsibility of gojko Šušak, , of separate military , political lines [of command] on ground, fall of posavina.

the outcome of battle shocked croatian commander , later resulted in speculation cause. stipetić blamed 108th infantry brigade collapse of bosanski brod bridgehead , failure of defence. claimed brigade had been pulled battlefield civilian authorities in slavonski brod , thought outcome of battle predetermined graz agreement of bosnian serb , bosnian croat leaders, radovan karadžić , mate boban. general karl gorinšek, commander in charge of defending neighboring slavonia during posavina s fall, said croatian administration showed no interest in defending posavina , continuously got orders not take initiative in defending territory. stipetić s view regarding graz agreement echoed british historian marko attila hoare, claims area conceded croats during operation corridor 92 traded western herzegovina. on other hand, croatian-american historian james j. sadkovich, among others, described view conspiracy theory. while sources have proposed area traded jna-held prevlaka peninsula near dubrovnik, central intelligence agency analysis concluded there no direct evidence of such arrangements.

conversely, croatian historian davor marijan concluded battle complex hv , hvo. pointed out hv , hvo suffered ineffective command structures , poor intelligence, noting had failed detect presence of vrs 16th motorised , 1st armoured brigades on. marijan claims hv had demobilised ten infantry brigades shortly before battle, , view supported colonel general novica simić, commander of vrs 16th motorised brigade, assigned tactical group 1, had been established 1st krajina corps carry out offensive.

in 2001–03, 3 bosnian serb officials tried international criminal tribunal former yugoslavia war crimes committed after capture of bosanski Šamac. defendants, blagoje simić, miroslav tadić , simo zarić, charged unlawful arrest, detention, beatings, torture, forced labour, deportation , forcible transfer. 3 found guilty, , convictions upheld in appeals process. simić sentenced 15 years in prison, while tadić , zarić received prison terms of 8 , 6 years respectively.