Draft:Battle of Bila hill

The Battle of Bila hill was fought between the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) and the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) for control of Bila Hill. On 9 September 1993, HVO forces successfully captured the hill. This victory provided them with a tactical advantage and was regarded as a strategic success for the HVO.

Battle of Bila hill
Part of Croat–Bosniak War
Date 8 – 9 September 1993 Location Bila hill, Bosnia and Herzegovina Result Croat victory
Belligerents
Herzeg-Bosnia	Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Commanders and leaders
Tihomir Blaškić Dario Kordić	unknown
Units involved
Croatian Defence Council	Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Battle flow

Tihomir Blaškić and Dario Kordić, along with their associates, urgently sought a solution. At dawn on 8 September 1993, special-purpose units of the HVO Operational Zone Central Bosnia, supported by numerous volunteers, launched an assault on the small ARBiH reserves, initiating a decisive battle for the Croatian regiment in the Lašva Valley. The attack began with precise artillery strikes targeting key military positions, including command posts and fortified trenches. This precision enabled the highly motivated HVO troops to breach the ARBiH's first lines of defense within hours. Each position was contested according to a meticulously crafted plan that accounted for every detail. Tihomir Blaškić directed operations from nearby Kalvarija, a renowned Catholic shrine that, on this occasion, served a strategic purpose. By the end of the first day, HVO forces had advanced to the Bila plateau without suffering any fatalities and with only a few wounded. The entire Lašva Valley followed the news with a mix of trepidation and disbelief.

The advance was halted by nightfall, as concerns over minefields delayed progress until morning. Throughout the night, new volunteers continued to arrive, and no one slept. The morning saw a renewed assault, and the ARBiH reinforcements were unable to prevent the HVO from advancing toward Sadovače and Bukve. By the afternoon of 9 September 1993, the victory at Bila was secured. This triumph not only restored the morale of the Croats in the Lašva Valley but also provided a significant boost to their confidence, proving that defense was possible and survival achievable after three months of intense conflict.