The Croatian Defence Forces (Croatian: Hrvatske obrambene snage, HOS) was the military arm of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) from 1991 to 1992, during the first stages of the Yugoslav wars.
During the Croatian War of Independence, the HOS organized several early companies and actively participated in Croatia's defense. At the peak of the war in Croatia the HOS had grown to several battalions in size. The first HOS units were headed by Ante Paradžik, a prominent member of the HSP. However, he was killed by Croatian police officers in September 1991. After the November 1991 general mobilization in Croatia and then the January 1992 cease-fire, HOS was gradually absorbed into the Croatian Army.
The HOS units in Bosnia and Herzegovina consisted of Croats, Bosniaks and foreign volunteers led by Blaž Kraljević. On August 9, 1992, Kraljević and eight of his staff were assassinated by Croatian Defence Council (HVO) soldiers under the command of Mladen Naletilić. HOS was disbanded shortly afterwards and absorbed into the HVO and the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the beginning of the Croat-Bosniak War. The last HOS unit was dissolved on April 5, 1993 in central Bosnia.
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