The ARBiH's decisive capture of Bugojno destroyed the HVO Eugen Kvaternik Brigade and displaced approximately 15,000 Croats during the Croat-Bosniak War.
Key Facts
- Duration
- 18–28 July 1993
- ARBiH casualties
- 92 killed, 211 wounded
- HVO casualties
- 107 killed, 130 wounded, 470 captured
- Croat civilians displaced
- approximately 15,000
- Last prisoners released
- March 1994
- War crimes convictions
- 4 ARBiH officials, 1 HVO official
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Bugojno area had been jointly controlled by the ARBiH 307th Brigade and the HVO Eugen Kvaternik Brigade since the war's outset. Escalating Croat-Bosniak violence in neighboring municipalities during the first half of 1993, combined with a broader ARBiH offensive in central Bosnia, increased tensions in Bugojno even as the two local brigades remained formally allied through June 1993.
Fighting erupted in Bugojno on 18 July 1993. The HVO, outnumbered three to one, was quickly fragmented and surrounded at multiple positions. Intense street combat over the following week led to the surrender of the last HVO units in the town on 25 July, with fighting in the surrounding municipality continuing until 28 July. The ARBiH ultimately gained full control of the entire municipality.
The Eugen Kvaternik Brigade was effectively destroyed, and an estimated 15,000 Croats fled the area. Hundreds of HVO prisoners of war and civilians were held in detention facilities including the Iskra Stadium, with the last detainees released in March 1994. The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina subsequently convicted five officials for war crimes committed during and after the battle.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent