Operation Flash (Croatian: Operacija Bljesak, Serbian: Операција Блесак) was a brief offensive conducted in the beginning of May 1995 by the Croatian Army, which removed Serb forces from the self-declared Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK) region of SAO Western Slavonia. The offensive was part of the later stages of the Croatian War of Independence and seen as a precursor for the larger and more ambitious Operation Storm; it had brought to an end the peace treaty lasting since 29 March 1994.
The operation also resulted in a large number of ethnic Serb civilian casualties, while over 15,000 left their homes. The Hague Tribunal was preparing a war crimes indictment against then Croatian President Franjo Tuđman for Operation Flash, but he died in 1999. Croatian Serb forces also shelled Zagreb and other Croatian-held cities in retaliation for the operation. Croatia was condemned by the international community for launching the offensive, called for an immediate secession of hostilities and withdrawal from the territories under UN occupation and criticized the reported violations of human rights of Serb civilians.
Read more about Operation Flash: Origins, Timeline, Aftermath, Civilian Casualties and Exile
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