Battle for Grbavica (Lašva Valley)

The battle for Grbavica (Lašva Valley) was a battle for Grbavica hill between HVO and ARBiH, which was eventually captured by HVO forces on 9 September 1993. This later proved to be a tactical advantage and a good move of HVO.

Battle flow
Tihomir Blaškić and Dario Kordić, together with their associates, feverishly find a solution. At dawn on September 8, 1993, the special purpose units of the HVO Operational Zone Central Bosnia, along with numerous volunteers for this action, engaged the small reserves and started the battle that was "to be or not to be" for the Croatian regiment of the Lašvan Valley.

The attack began with artillery fire. Military targets were targeted very precisely, primarily command posts and well-fortified trenches. This made it possible for extremely motivated brave young people in HVO uniforms, understanding all the complexity of the situation, to succeed in breaking through the first lines of defense of the ARBiH after only a few hours. Battles are fought for each object according to a plan that analyzed every millimeter of space and action. Tihomir Blaškić is directly in command from nearby Kalvarija. This famous Catholic shrine brings happiness to its worshipers this time as well. Already on the first day, HVO forces broke out on the Grbavica plateau. Without a single dead person and with a small number of wounded. All of Croatia's Lašva Valley follows the news with trepidation and disbelief.

Night stops the advance. The fear of mine obstacles awaits the morning. All night long, new and new volunteers show up. Nobody sleeps.

The morning begins with a hurricane. The reinforcements that arrive in the ARBiH fail to stop the advance of the HVO and they advance their forces far towards Sadovače and Bukve. In the afternoon of September 9, 1993. year is a time that will be remembered for the brilliant victory at Grbavica. That battle and that victory will restore completely shaken self-confidence to the Croats of Lašvan. After three months of hell, she will for the first time convince even the most discouraged that defense is possible and that survival is certain.