Brilliant "Pretis" Operation: Armament Used to Defend Sarajevo Retrieved 24 Years Ago

The "Pretis" operation, considered crucial for the defense of Sarajevo and the state of BiH, was carried out on the night of April 17-18, 1992, reports the Patria News Agency.

Around 30 members of the Special Unit of the MUP of the Republic of BiH, with the help of combined Territorial Defense units, organized the retrieval of armament from the "Pretis" factory premises in Vogošća.

The operation lasted two hours. The very well-organized special forces of Dragan Vikić and Kemal Ademović, without firing a single shot, managed to retrieve 1,100 anti-tank missiles and a truckload of mortar shells, which would later prove decisive for the city's defense.

There was general chaos in the city at the time. Due to a poor communication system and weak coordination among the defenders, Safet Hadžić and his group set out for "Pretis" the next day, April 18, to retrieve more armament before the JNA and SDS paramilitary formations completely encircled Sarajevo.

Hadžić and his comrades from the Patriotic League and TO RBiH did not know that SDS paramilitary units had already occupied the factory. They headed towards Vogošća in a van.

Safet had no weapons. When they reached the gate, they were showered with gunfire. Safet was hit first. Sead Velić, Nermin Zeljković, Fahrudin Čavčić, Almir Islamović, and Senad Čirić were also killed in this operation.

A monument to Safet Hadžić and his comrades has been erected at the site near where they fell, at the entrance to "Pretis." A monument has also been erected in honor of Safet Hadžić in front of the Novi Grad Municipality in Sarajevo.