Battle of Holmec

The Battle of Holmec (Serbian: Bitka za Holmeka; Slovenian: Bitka za Holmec) was one of the bloodiest clashes during the Ten-Day War.^[1] The Yugoslav People's Army tried to take the border post of Holmec after a brief ultimatum. The units of the Slovenian Police and territorial defense stopped members of the JNA who were supposed to occupy the border crossing.^[2] 220 members of the territorial defense and 40 policemen participated, against 62 members of the JNA.^[2][3][4]

Battle of Holmec
Part of the Ten-Day War
The destroyed Holmec border crossing
Date 27 June 1991 – 28 June 1991 Location Holmec, Slovenia Result Slovenian victory Beginning of the Holmec incident[a]
Belligerents
Slovenia	Yugoslavia
Commanders and leaders
Maksimiljan Gorenšek	Rajko Meh (MIA)
Units involved
Territorial Defence National Police	Yugoslav People's Army Yugoslav Ground Forces
Strength
220 territorial defence 40 police	62
Casualties and losses
2 killed 3 wounded	3 killed 6 wounded 45 captured 3 surrendered

Battle

The 115th anti-sabotage company, 1st company of the 62nd Carinthian detachment, 1st platoon of the 97th assault detachment, 160th anti-sabotage platoon and the 32nd anti-aircraft battery of the Slovenian TO, as well as the 31st JNA corps were present at the battle.^[2] After a shootout between both sides, the Holmec watchtower fell around 10 a.m. to Slovenian TO.^[2]

Aftermath

Meh Rajko, the JNA commander at the battle of Holmec, deserted to the Slovenian National Police.^[2] On the 28 June 1991, Slovenian TO members were filmed on the Austrian public broadcasting station ORF.^[1][2][3][4] Video footage shows a small group of JNA soldiers standing or walking slowly with raised hands, holding up a white sheet in an apparent attempt to surrender. Moments later, gunfire is heard and the soldiers fall or jump to the ground. Holmec was the first border post in Slovenia to be liberated during the Ten-Day War.^[5] Many Slovenian high-ranking officers left the JNA after the battle.^[5]

Notes

1. ^
   The Holmec incident refers to claims that three Yugoslav People's Army recruits (Goran Maletić, Zoran Ješić and Antonijo Šimunović) surrendered as prisoners of war and were shot and killed by the Slovenian Territorial Defence. However, investigations by Slovenian state prosecutors in 1991 and 1999 concluded that there were no suspicions of criminal acts during the fighting in Holmec.^[6]

References

1. "New Documentary Highlights 1991 Battle for Holmec on Austrian Border". Total Slovenia News. 29 June 2022. p. 1.
2. Vasović-Mekina, Svetlana (7 June 2006). "The killer of the JNA is known (Official Slovenian versions of events at the watchtower on 28 June, 1991, full of holes)". Srpskapolitika. p. 1. Archived from the original on 23 September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
3. "Croat victim in Slovenian war crime", 2006-04-10 Archived 17 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine
4. "It happened... on June 27". RTVSLO. 27 June 2005. p. 1.
5. "30 years of Slovenias independence". Republic of Slovenia. 19 July 2021. p. 1.
6. "Na Holmcu ni bilo zločina". 24ur.com. April 6, 2006. Retrieved August 9, 2024.