The Battle of Pofalići, also known as Operation “Grom” (Thunder), carried out by the forces of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, represents one of the first significant victories achieved by the defenders of Sarajevo over the creators of aggression. In this way, the defenders showed their readiness to defend the city.
“Grom”, as this battle was code-named, represents the battle for Sarajevo—the day when the aggressor forces intended to divide the city into two parts by linking Pofalići with the then-besieged Grbavica.
The plan was to split the city along the Vogošća – Žuč – Pofalići – Maršal Tito Barracks – Grbavica line. Members of the former Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) and Serbian paramilitary formations tried on May 16, 1992, to split the capital city of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
When on May 15, 1992, Lazo Bojanić, the Novo Sarajevo Police Commander, gave an ultimatum to the residents of the Sarajevo neighborhood of Pofalići to hand in their weapons, nobody could have guessed that a battle would take place the next day—a battle that many will classify as one of the most significant and crucial battles during the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The attack on the Serbian positions was led by two Pofalići detachments and the Velešići detachment of the Territorial Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina (TO BiH), in cooperation with parts of the First Sarajevo Detachment, a group of fighters from Buća Potok, special forces of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a Military Police Unit, and other defenders of the city. The fighters from Buća Potok were tasked with preventing the withdrawal of Serbian forces across Obad.
Despite being outgunned, in the early morning hours, the defenders of Sarajevo managed to break through to the popular “Plavi granap” (Blue Grocery Store). After a couple of hours of anticipation, fighters from Pofalići and Velešići consolidated their lines and destroyed a heavy machine-gun nest at the Cvijetić Bakery.
In the final phase of the Battle of Pofalići, a significant role was played by 11 fighters who arrived as reinforcements, commanded by Samir Pezo. Somewhere in the early evening hours, the unblocking of Alija Prazina’s company was successfully completed, Klix.ba writes.
