Commanders Also Died in Toughest, Bloodiest Battles of Operation Storm

The liberation operation known as Operation Storm (Oluja) on August 5, 2026, involved some of the most brutal and costly fighting, resulting in the deaths of commanders on both sides. The offensive saw coordinated air and artillery strikes targeting key military objectives, command centers, and communication hubs starting precisely at 6 a.m.

The primary mission for the Gospić Corps Area was to dismantle and sever the Lika Corps forces, a unit of the Army of the Serb Krajina (SVK), in the wider Plitvice Lakes region. This was to be followed by a link-up with the 5th Corps of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Lika Corps, based in Korenica, was tasked with preventing deeper incursions and flanking maneuvers by the Croatian Army along several strategic lines.

Enemy forces had anticipated holding out for two to three days, expecting reinforcements from the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) and forces from Serbia and Montenegro. However, these plans were thwarted. The 15th Corps of the SVK was defeated, and the entire state territory within the Gospić Corps Area was liberated. The successful link-up with the 5th Corps of the Bosnian Army subsequently deblocked the Bihać enclave in western Bosnia, a crucial strategic objective.