Source:
https://croativ.net/domovinski-rat-srps ... vno-39370/Translation from Croatian is courtesy of Google...
Homeland war: Serbian crimes in Ravno municipality
On October 1, 1991, the JNA destroyed the Croatian village of Ravno in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was at the beginning of the aggression towards the south of Croatia when the Serbs and Montenegrins set out to conquer the Dubrovnik coast, Dubrovnik and other areas of the south of Croatia. Alija Izetbegović, President of the BiH Presidency, did not condemn the aggression against the Croatian village in BiH, did not condemn the demolition of the village and the war crime that was committed, but said: "It is not our war."
Alija Izetbegović addressed the residents of BiH via TV Sarajevo: "I will let them all know that Bosnia and Herzegovina does not want to be a participant in this senseless act. Based on the above and those conclusions that you know, the Presidency's decision on mobilization is your right and duty, citizens of BiH, not to respond to mobilization, nor to the call to participate in the civil war. You are not obliged, remember, nothing obliges you to raise your hands at each other, to shoot at each other... Remember, this is not our war. Let those who want to lead it lead it. We don't want that war. Help us, therefore, together with us to do everything to preserve a peaceful Bosnia." (October 6, 1991).
At the time of the declaration (October 6, 1991), the Užice and Titograd corps, supported by reservists from Montenegro, had already occupied the dominant heights on the southern and eastern sides of Mostar - Huma, Gubavica and Fortica.
In October and November 1991, Serbs committed a war crime in the Ravno municipality; they killed 23 civilians and one member of the HVO (Davor Marijan and colleagues)
In the Croatian village of Ravno, which is located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there was no military-capable population and no armed groups. JNA lieutenant colonel Đuro Komšić, who led the attack on Ravno, spoke for Montenegrin Television about the destruction of Ravno:
Reporter: "Lieutenant Colonel, tell us, Ravno...the village is here in front of us. Cannons are beating, howitzers, tell us from which all the weapons open fire."
Lt. Col. Komšić: "This is an artillery unit from Valjevo that is now attacking the village of Ravno... and a little while ago it was firing, as you saw, from an artillery unit. We have a lot of losses in the village of Ravno, and that is why we have taken these measures today to target the village of Ravno."
Reporter: "According to everything that can be seen, it seems that there are no Croatian forces in the village..."
Lieutenant Colonel Komšić: "You know what? They hide in basements, rooms, and come out at night to surprise us. However, we will take further measures, so that we keep this village under control and under fire."
Reporter: "Tell me what comes after this?"
Lieutenant Colonel Komšić: "After this, there will be a cleaning operation, I believe that our units will destroy this village as well."
On November 13, 1991, the JNA and paramilitary units brutally killed eight Croatian civilians, residents of Kijev Do. All those killed were over 60 years old.
In addition to completely destroyed villages, 24 people were killed, 11 were wounded, and 18 of them were imprisoned in Trebinje. The reason for the crime in Ravno was revenge for the defeat of the JNA and Chetniks by the Croatian Army near Čepikuće.
After eight months of occupation, units of the Croatian Defense Council, the Croatian Army and the Croatian Armed Forces liberated Ravno in June 1992, as part of the June Dawn operation.
