On this day some of the most significant battles in Sarajevo were fought: We remember the heroes of Žuč, Orlić, Vinko Šamarlić...

(Patria) - By laying wreaths and paying due respects, one of the most difficult dates of the defensive-liberation period, when over 220 defenders of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina lost their lives, was marked today at several locations in Sarajevo Canton.

Sarajevo remembers June 8 also as the day when Vinko Šamarlić, a hero of the city who traded his promising sports career for the fight for freedom, was killed by the aggressor. At the Lav cemetery today, family members, comrades and friends gathered, remembering the legacy left by Vinko Šamarlić. Flowers were also laid by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, Omer Osmanović.

"Vinko Šamarlić was killed in the most difficult days of the aggression against our homeland, and as a hero he showed the greatest human value – the willingness to put his own life in the service of defending the freedom and dignity of his people. He traded his sports career, and an Olympic one at that, for the trenches, and remained a symbol of courage and patriotism. Although he had met the Olympic standard and had the opportunity to represent his homeland at the world's biggest sporting event, Vinko chose to stay with his comrades and defend Sarajevo, thereby forever obligating this city," stated Minister Osmanović.

Vinko Šamarlić was killed on June 8, 1992, in Hrasno Brdo, at the age of 28, a day before the departure of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Olympic team for Barcelona. His sacrifice testifies that freedom, homeland and responsibility towards the people were more important to him than personal sporting glory.

Today, at the Kobilje Glave site, the 34th anniversary of the Battle for Orlić was also marked, when one of the most important battles in the defense of the free territories of Vogošća and Sarajevo was fought.

With a commemorative program, tribute was paid to the heroes who have permanently inscribed their names into the foundations of a sovereign Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Minister Osmanović also attended the marking activities.

"The Battle for Orlić remains a symbol of the courage, determination and readiness of our fighters to defend their homes, people and state, despite a superior enemy. It is especially important to emphasize that June 8 is a date that carries strong symbolism for Bosnia and Herzegovina. On this day, significant battles were fought across the country, and numerous heroes were killed in defense of the freedom and independence of our homeland. Precisely because of the historical significance of the events that marked this date, I believe that today should even be recognized and observed as a non-working day, dedicated to the memory of the heroes and their crucial contributions to the defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina," Minister Osmanović stated.

Through numerous activities, commemorative programs and ceremonies, memories of one of the most significant dates during the period of aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina were evoked today, and as such it is permanently inscribed in our history. During the first months of the aggression in 1992, on this very date, some of the most difficult and most important battles for the survival of the state were fought, from Sarajevo and its approaches, to numerous other battlefields across Bosnia and Herzegovina. In those decisive days, the defenders, often poorly armed but driven by a strong belief in freedom and the right to live in their homeland, offered determined resistance to a far superior enemy.

Today's date is not just one in a series of war dates; it is an opportunity but also a reminder that our freedom today was not given to us, and that we survived thanks to heroes like Vinko Šamarlić, Dino Magoda, Sulejman Zolj and hundreds of other defenders, who on this day chose the harder path, and were treacherously killed on that path. Today we remember the heroes of Žuč, the heroes of Širokača, Orlić, Volujak, Arnautka, and we give a lasting promise that they are not and will not be forgotten, the Press Service of the Government of Sarajevo Canton announced.