On May 2, 1992 brave citizens of Sarajevo started an open fight for their city. The Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA), together with paramilitary formations, made an attempt to take over the key institutions in the city and thus take over the control. However, the citizens of Sarajevo did not allow it.
Apart from the building of the Presidency, on that day JNA also tried to take over the building of the Assembly of BiH and the Centar Municipality. The self-organized citizens with scarce and improvised weapons stood up to defend their city. With heroic exploits, the citizens gathered in Territorial Defense of BiH, with support from the Special Unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, managed to save the key institutions in BiH and prevent the enemies from implementing their plans.
Key battles were led between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., when the city was left without electricity, water and phone communications, and one of the most striking scenes are the trams set on fire on Skenderija.
The building of the Main Post Office in Sarajevo was also set on fire, and tanks of JNA headed towards the Presidency and the Assembly. Important role in defense was then played by the Special Unit led by Dragan Vikić, the reserve police force, members of the Patriotic League, and many others.
Just when it seemed like the situation cannot get any worse, news came that the President of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Alija Izetbegović was arrested at the Sarajevo Airport by the members of JNA led by Vojislav Đurđevac. Izetbegović was coming back from negotiations in Lisbon. From the Sarajevo Airport Izetbegović was taken to Lukavica. News of his arrest was found out accidentally, and negotiations for his releasing were led directly via the former Television Sarajevo.
Izetbegović was exchanged on May 3 in Dobrovoljačka Street in Sarajevo.
(Source: klix.ba)
