Armed forces of the Republic of Serbian Krajina; faction in the Croatian War of Independence
The Serbian Army of Krajina (SAK, Serbo-Croatian: Srpska vojska Krajine, Српска војска Крајине, abbr. SVK), also known as the Army of the Republic of Serbian Krajina or Krajina Serbian Army, was the armed forces of the Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK). The SVK consisted of ground and air elements.
Created through the merger of the Territorial Defense of the Republic of Serbian Krajina (TORSK), units of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and the Krajina Militia, the SVK was officially established on 19 March 1992. Responsible for the security of the RSK, its area of responsibility covered an area of some 17,028 km² at its peak, as it was located entirely inland it thus had no naval forces. The SVK, along with the state of RSK, ceased to exist in 1995 following the Croatian military offensive Operation Storm.
During the Croatian War of Independence, numerous massacres were conducted by the Army of Serbian Krajina. On 2–3 May 1995, seven civilians were killed and many more injured in the Zagreb rocket attacks.[4][5][6]
The main leaders of the Serbian Army of Krajina, Milan Martić, Milan Babić and Goran Hadžić, were indicted and trialled by the ICTY for various war crimes and crimes against humanity. Milan Martić was sentenced to 35 years in prison,[7][8] Milan Babić was sentenced to 13 years,[9] while Goran Hadžić died shortly after their trial started.[10][11][12]
^Dixon, Jeffrey S.; Sarkees, Meredith Reid (2015). A Guide to Intra-state Wars: An Examination of Civil, Regional, and Intercommunal Wars, 1816–2014. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press. p. 313. ISBN 978-1-50630-081-8.
^Novaković 2009, p. 292.
^ a b"Фактори односа снага у српско-хрватском сукобу: [(рат за опстанак Срба крајишника)]: зборник радова [учесника научног скупа одржаног 28-29. новембра 2009. године у Бањи Јунаковић, Апатин]. 2". plus.cobiss.net. University Library 'S. Marković', Belgrade: 295 стр. 2011. ISBN 978-86-83809-68-4.
^"Prosecutors Seek Life Sentence for War Crimes Suspect Martic". Voice of America. 10 January 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
^"War crimes suspects surrender to tribunal". BBC News. 15 May 2002. Archived from the original on 16 September 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
^"Meeting the Challenge – I. The Technological Evolution and Early Proliferation and Use of Cluster Munitions". Human Rights Watch. 22 November 2010. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
^"Serb leader jailed for war crimes". BBC News. 12 June 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2007.