Battle of Žepče

The Battle of Žepče (Croatian: Bitka kod Žepča) took place between the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) and the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) in Žepče, Bosnia and Herzegovina on the 24th of June 1993.

Battle of Žepče
Part of the Croat-Bosniak War
Battle map
Date 24 June 1993 Location Žepče, Bosnia and Herzegovina 44°26′N 18°02′E Result Croat victory
Belligerents
Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia	Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	Galib Dervišević
Units involved
HVO	ARBiH
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown number taken hostage (later released)

Prelude

War broke out between Herzeg-Bosnia, supported by Croatia, and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, supported by the Bosnian Mujahideen and the Croatian Defence Forces. It lasted from 18 October 1992 to 23 February 1994, and is considered often as a "war within a war" as it was a part of the much larger Bosnian War. Fighting soon spread to Central Bosnia and soon Herzegovina, where most of the fighting would take place in those regions.

Battle

The 319th Mountain Brigade which was located in the city found itself surrounded while other brigade of ARBiH took over high ground around city. Žepče was defended by HVO 111th xp Žepče brigade and Andrija Tadić battalion. After six days of fighting for Žepče, on 30 June Galib Dervišević agrees to surrender the 305th and 319th Brigade after which the brigades abolished. By Croat sources, captured Bosniak soldiers numbered to around 5000.