The 5th Corps was one of seven corps and smallest one of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The formation was around the Bihać pocket to protect it against the surrounding Serb forces which included the entire Army of the Kninska Krajina (VRSK), 1st and 2nd Corps of the Army of Srpska Republic (VRS), including the reinforcements from other VRS Corps, Yugoslav Military, Serbia Military and paramilitary formations. The assigned zone of responsibility of the 5th Corps encompassed almost the entire Bosnian Krajina, but in reality it only covered approximately 1,150 km2 of the free Bosnian Krajina territory. The length of the front of the Bihać pocket was about 180 km, and within the defended territory lived over 200,000 inhabitants. The Bihać pocket found itself in a very unfavorable situation, due to the constant lack of weapons, ammunition, food, and medicine. The shortest distance from Bihać pocket to the rest of the free territory in Bosnia and Herzegovina was about 100 km, while Velika Kladuša was only about thirty kilometers away from the territory held by the Croatian Army, before the secession (after the secession the free territory towards free Croatia and rest of the world increased about additional ~30 km). The 5th Corps also fought secessional Bosniak forces National Defence of the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia (NOZB, which had approximate size of a division reinforced by Serbs with equipment, supplies, training and reinforcements) stationed in Velika Kladuša county and parts of Cazin county, loyal to Fikret Abdić, who was cooperating with Serb forces.
During the war it is estimated that 5th Corps at all time had tied to themselves 70,000 serbian troops, when secession happened additional 10,000 secessional Bosniak troops were tied to the lines of 5th Corps. Just days before the last 5th Corps military operation, Operation Sana, 5th Corps defeated Abdić's army and supporters, bringing the rogue autonomous province under government's control in the Downfall of Second autonomy operation. After that 5th Corps started all-out offensive Operation Sana, connecting to the rest of the Bosnian territory while bringing a number of previously lost and occupied regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina under government control, defeating 1st and 2nd Krajiški corps, strengthened with units that escaped Kninska Krajina and multiple Serb paramilitary forces coming to aid from different frontlines. During Sana 95 and Downfall of Second autonomy 5th Corps also liberated towns and communes in border section of Croatia. Connecting with Croat forces in Grabovac-Rakovica area, Korenica-Frkašić area, Bogovolja-Cetingrad area and on an overlooking hill west of Plitvička jezera. The solemnly meet up was done on the border bridge in Tražačka Raštela, where commanders of both countries shook hands.
History The ministry of military affairs passed the order for the formation of the Fifth Corps of the ARBiH on September 29, 1992, and the final approval by the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (order no. 02-111-738/92) on October 21, 1992. In the formation of the 5th Corps there have been the de-formation of the Unsko-sanski Operative Group and the Territorial Defense Groups of Bihać pocket.
After the Dayton Peace Agreement was signed, the 5th Corps had a wide reorganisation. This reorganisation was still largely influenced by the original war layout. Command was reorganised and adapted to new units structure. New brigades were formed and some units of 7th Corps which were made of residents from Bosanska Krajina region merged with 5th Corps units. New layout stayed until the ARBiH's disbandment on 14 December 1997.
After that 5th Corps got complete new reorganisation under VFBiH, where original organisation was completely disbanded losing all previous layouts in process. 5th Corps got reorganised with system used in US Armed forces units and command. Thus becoming whole new unit only keeping some of the units name's honorarily. It stayed like that til final dissolution in the newly formed OSBiH on 1 December 2004 when it officially ceased to exist.
Currently. the 5th Corps lives through different manifestations, anniversaries held through every year, books that have been written and remembrance days. Several Museums and Remembrance organisations on different levels have been formed.
5th Corps command At the meeting of the Bihać region, held on April 13, 1992, the appointment of Major Hajrudin Osmanagić as the commander of the Territorial Defense of the Bihać region was confirmed. Major Hajrudin Osmanagić was given control, but he stepped down before he took the post in favour of Dreković and Captain First class Ramiz Dreković took control as commander of the Fifth Corps, thus becoming first commander of the Fifth Corps. After him, Brigadier General Atif Dudaković became commander of the Fifth Corps.
Corps Staff: 28 officers, 2 under-officers, 42 soldiers 1st Commander: Captain I Class Ramiz Dreković - from forming to 1 November 1993 2nd Commander: Brigadier General Atif Dudaković - from 1 November 1993 until disbandment in 2006. Deputy Commander Chief of Staff: Major Ramiz Duraković Major Mirsad Sedić Assistants for moral IPD and MP - Ejub Topić Assistants for security - Sakib Butković Logistic - Bećir Sirovina
5th Corps units (in 1995)
5th Corps units 501st Famous Mountain Brigade Commander: Brigadier Senad Šarganović 502nd Knightly Mountain Brigade Commander: Colonel Hamdija Abdić 503rd Famous Mountain Brigade Commander: Brigadier Hamdo Delalić 504th Light Infantry Brigade (Disbanded on 15. April 1994) Commander: Kovačević Hase 505th Knightly Motorized Brigade Commander: Brigadier Izet Nanić 506th Liberation Brigade Commander: Major Nijaz Miljković 510th Bosnian Liberation Brigade Commander: Brigadier Amir Avdić 511th Famous Mountain Brigade Commander: Major Mirsad Sedić 517th Light Brigade Commander: Major Ibrahim Nadarević Command of the 5th Corps Chief of staff: Brigadier Mirsad Selmanović 5th Battalion of Military Police Commander: Senijad Mešić 5th Mountain Battalion (disbanded in December 1994) Special Forces Detachment (7th April 1992 till 15th March 1994, nicknamed "Šarganovi") Commander: Esnaf Rekić 5th Reconnaissance-Sabotage Company (nicknamed "Havarija") Commander: Jasmin Kulenović- Havarija 5th Tank-Armoured Company 5th Mixed Artillery Division Commander: Rizvo Behrem 5th Mixed Artillery Regiment Mixed Anti-Armored Artillery Division 5th Artillery-Missile Anti-Aircraft Defense Unit Aviation Group Bihać (Branch of ARBiH Air Force) 5th Atomic-Biological-Chemical-Defense Company 5th Engineering Battalion 5th Logistics Base Commander: Bećir Sirovina 5th Corps Training and Recruitment Center 5th Corps Dedicated-Military industry Art Company of the 5th Corps Medical rehabilitation center "Arif Hasanagić" Gata
Brigades on the day of formation The first brigade formed in this territory was the 101st Independent Muslim Krajina Brigade, established on April 9, 1992, in the village of Kovačevići, municipality of Cazin. It was also the first brigade ever formed on the territory of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, in other settlements of the Bihać pocket, units of a higher tactical-operational level were established.
Thus, in Bihać, on July 19, members of the newly organized First and Second Bihać Infantry Brigades were assembled from already existing Territorial Defense detachments. In August, in Cazin, the 1st Cazin Infantry Brigade was founded in the same way, and in Bužim, on August 15, the 105th Bužim Krajina Infantry Brigade was formed.
On September 1, 1992, the 111th Bosanska Krupa Infantry Brigade was established as the largest unit, numbering 1,692 members.
Due to the absence of an operational-tactical command, there was a need to form such a command that would unite the existing brigades and establish a chain of leadership and command over these units, both in planning and preparation as well as in conducting combat operations of larger scale. Based on these needs, and by order of the Supreme Command of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, dated July 29, 1992, the Una Operational Group was formed on August 13. This group soon changed its name to the Una-Sana Operational Group (USOG). This OG took command over all units until the formation of the 5th Corps, which was ordered by the decision of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Ramiz Dreković was appointed commander of the USOG, while Ramiz Duraković was named his deputy and chief of staff. On September 29, 1992, the Supreme Command Headquarters of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina issued order no. 02-111-738/92 for the formation of the 5th Corps of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Bihać designated as its headquarters. Due to the situation prevailing in the Bihać pocket at the time, this order was not carried out until October 21, 1992, which is considered the official date of the founding of the 5th Corps.
All soldiers and officers of the disbanded Una-Sana Operational Group were incorporated into the newly formed 5th Corps. This group had included the infantry brigades of the Bihać pocket Territorial Defense, which demonstrated loyalty to the Republic Government. At that time, the Corps consisted of seven brigades—all of them infantry units—along with six lower-level units (battalion or company), of various purposes, as well as a logistics base and the Corps command, with a total strength of 10,152 members.
List of brigades:
1st Bihać Infantry Brigade 2nd Bihać Muslim-Croat Infantry Brigade 1st Cazin Infantry Brigade 105th Bužim Infantry Brigade 101st Muslim Krajina Brigade 111th Bosanska Krupa Infantry Brigade 1st Velika Kladuša Infantry Brigade
Liberated territory In the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Rest of the Cazin county (Twice, including the liberation after downfall of First autonomy.). Rest of Bihać county to the mountains Oštrelj and Osječenica. Entirety of Bosanska Krupa county. Entirety of Velika Kladuša county (Twice, including the liberation after downfall of First autonomy.). Entirety of Bosanski Petrovac county to southeast towards the mountain Srnetica and towards Donji Ribnik. Stopping at the village Vrbljani. Ključ towards Mrkonjić Grad stopping on the mountain of Čađavica. Meeting up in Mrkonjić Grad with Croat forces. Liberated the valley south of Velečevo up to the commune of Vrbljani and Medna towards Podbrdo. To the west connecting to hill Osječenica via the mountain Srnetica and communes Drinić, Uvala, Busije, ... (Entirety of prewar Ključ county) Entirety of Sanski Most county. Mountain Grmeč Parts of Novi Grad county: Rudice, Crna Rijeka, Kršlje, Ćele, Tisova etc. towards Ljubija in Prijedor. Parts of Prijedor county: Ljubija, Zecovi, Rasavci, Oštra Luka, Ništavci, Ališići, Gaćani, Tomašica, Rakelići stopping at the suburbs of Prijedor in between Miljakovci and Gomjenica. Parts of Banja Luka county in cooperation with 7th Corps, 17th Knightly Krajina Mountain brigade stopping in the area between Dobrnja and Kmećani. Liberating communes like Stričići, Vilusi Ðurđevići, Bronzani Majdan, ... and mountain Manjača.
In the Republic of Croatia:
West of Bihać (Mainly to attack VRSK from behind before they could relocate and fortify themselves.): Plješevica Željava Air Base Frkašić Bjelopolje Grabušić Korenica Vrelo Koreničko Rudanovac Prijeboj Ličko Petrovo Selo Drežnik Grad Plitvička Jezera Grabovac Rakovica
North and northwest of Velika Kladuša (Mainly to not let VRSK relocate and fortify itself and because of NOZB APZB depots near the border, after Croatian green light.): Bogovolja Šiljkovača Maljevac Gejkovac Cetingrad Buhača Polojski Varoš
East of Bužim: Bojna And some of the hill tops giving better positions until HV forces arrived.
In the cooperation with HV: Slunj Slunjska brda