Jasmin Kulenović (12 November 1957 - 10 January 1995) also known as Havarija was a commander in the

Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (; ; ARBiH), often referred to as Bosnian Army, was the military force of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was established by the government of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina i ...

. Kulenović commanded the “Havarija” Sabotage-Reconnaissance company, as well as the 501st Brigade (ARBiH).

Early life and career

Jasmin Kulenović was born in

Bihać Bihać is a city and the administrative centre of Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of river Una (Sava), Una in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, in th ...

on 12 November 1957, after finishing with school he became a medical technician in his home town.

Military career

Before the start of the

Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...

, Kulenovic joined the

Territorial Defence Force of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Territorial Defence Force of the Republic of Bosnia and Hercegovina () were the first official armed forces of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the beginning of the Bosnian War. They were eventually transformed into the Army of the R ...

in April. Kulenović fought for the ToBiH until the organization of military units in

, Havarija was wounded 2-3 times during the

. he led a battalion in the 501st Glorious Mountain Brigade, in one of Kulenovic’s actions, he along with other

Bosnian Army The Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Oružane snage Bosne i Hercegovine, Оружане снаге Босне и Херцеговине or OSBiH) is the official military force of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Th ...

personnel attacked a group of VRS soldiers in Maljevac, garnering him the nickname “Havarija”. Kulenovic along with his men were appointed to hold the line against the oncoming wave of VRS soldiers led by

Ratko Mladić Ratko Mladić ( sr-Cyrl, Ратко Младић, ; born 12 March 1942) is a Bosnian Serb former military officer who led the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) during the Yugoslav Wars. In 2017, he was found guilty of committing war crimes, crim ...

during Operation "Breza '94", which was a success.

Death and legacy

On January 10, 1995, during a large offensive against Western Bosnian and the

Army of Republika Srpska The Army of Republika Srpska (; ВРС/VRS), commonly referred to in English as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of Republika Srpska, the self-proclaimed Serb secessionist republic, a territory within the newly independent Bosnia and Herz ...

Kulenović was fighting in

Velika Kladuša Velika Kladuša ( sr-Cyrl, Велика Кладуша, ; literal translation, lit. "Great Kladuša") is a town in the Una-Sana Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the far northwest of Bosnia, located on the border with Croatia. As o ...

with the

5th Corps (Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina) The 5th Corps was one of seven corps and smallest one of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The formation was around the Bihać pocket to protect it against the surrounding Serb forces. The Fifth Corps also fought secessional Bosn ...

, during an intense clash with NOZB-VRS soldiers on Podzvizd, Kulenović was

Killed in action Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...

. Kulenović was posthumously awarded the

Order of the Golden Lily The Order of the Golden Lily (), or simply the Golden Lily (), was a military decoration of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian War. It was given to soldiers and officers who displayed exceptional courage, bravery ...

for his contributions and bravery during the

, including his role in the liberation of

Sanski Most Sanski Most ( sr-cyrl, Сански Мост, ) is a town and municipality located in the Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of the Sana River in northwes ...

and Sokoc. 30 years after Kulenovic's death, the Mayor of

held a funeral for Jasmin Kulenovic and other prominent deceased

soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word ...

References

{{Reflist 1957 births 1995 deaths

Early life and career

Military career

Death and legacy

See also

References