|
According to
the official results of the 1991 census, the Orasje district had
28,201 residents:
21,234 Croats
(75,3%)
1,900 Moslems (6,7%)
4,219 Serbs (15,0%)
848 others (3,0%)
During the Serbian aggression against Bosnia-Herzegovina (1992),
the Orasje district area underwent the heavy mortar attacks (starting
with April 19th 1992).
On April 29th
1992, the Serbian troops launched an infantry attack on the village
of Vidovice, preceded by a fierce shelling. After several days of
fierce struggles, a small unit of defenders had to retreat before
the fierce attacks of Serbian forces. Out of twelve Croat civilians,
who remained in the village, seven were massacred.
May 2nd 1992,
the defenders liberated the village in a strong counterattack and
found the bodies of murdered civilians.
On May 4th 1992,
the Serbian forces moved beyond the Croat defensive system and occupied
the village. 30 defenders were either killed or disappeared. In
the period between October 21st and 23rd the defenders undertook
another fierce military campaign and liberated the village of Vidovice.
Thousands of
shells and thirty earth-to-earth rockets "LUNA" were fired
on the district area.
The fierce artillery
attacks were launched on the district area throughout 1993 and in
the first half of 1994. Residential and farm buildings sustained
an enormous damage.
|
